CANADA - Former Nunavik cop (Joe Willie Saunders) jailed 18 months for sexual assault

Joe Willie Saunders

Original Article

09/27/2012

By JANE GEORGE

A former officer with the Kativik Regional Police Force is now serving out an 18-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to sexual assault in August.

Joe Willie Saunders, 25, of Kuujjuaq, first accused of sexual assault causing bodily harm, pleaded guilty Aug. 24 to the lesser charge of sexual assault, in connection with incidents that court documents say took place Feb. 5 and Feb. 6, 2010 in Kuujjuaq.

Quebec judge Renée Lemoyne sentenced Saunders to 18 months in jail.

She also declared him as a sex offender and required him to submit DNA samples, which will be included in the national registry of sex offencers.

The National Sex Offender Registry provides rapid access by police to information about convicted sex offenders. Through this registry, an officer is able to request a search for registered sex offenders living in a given area.

Saunders will remain on this list for 20 years.

The court also imposed a 10-year firearms prohibition on Saunders.

At the recent meeting of the Kativik Regional Government council in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik’s police chief Aileen Mackinnon fended off complaints about cops’ behaviour in their communities.

Although many recent incidents involving members of KRPF were mentioned by regional councillors, the sexual assault conviction of Saunders was not discussed.

But Mackinnon did say that a tougher code of ethics is being drafted for the police force.

The KRPF said in a Sept. 27 statement that, “prior to his conviction and sentencing, Joe Willie Saunders was dealt with as provided for under the law, the KRPF code of discipline and the collective agreement. Specifically, he was suspended immediately following the event and brought back on administrative duties after three months. Mr. Saunders is no longer a member of the KRPF.”