16°c A few clouds
19°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Unguarded encounter with rapist not heeded
Safety complaint can't find audience
A Winnipeg woman travelled to Saskatoon to speak out against the man who raped her only to discover the parole hearing had been cancelled.
Tracey Walsh arrived in Saskatoon on July 4 and was informed Edwin Dennis Proctor, the man who raped her and a friend in 1979, had withdrawn his request for a parole hearing.
Proctor will stay incarcerated in Saskatoon's Regional Psychiatric Centre for at least two more years, at which point he will again be eligible for parole.
It was the third time since 2006 Walsh travelled to Saskatoon to read a victim impact statement.
Walsh said although she is relieved Proctor will remain incarcerated, she feels conflicted because she was ready to speak out about an incident that occurred at Proctor's 2008 hearing.
According to Walsh, she and her fiancé, Steven Tymchuk, were walking through the psychiatric centre before the 2008 hearing at around 8:15 a.m. She said she saw Proctor and another inmate walking down the hall towards them unguarded.
"The sight of it was so shocking. I almost pulled Steven towards me into a brick wall to get away from them. He was just there, completely free from guards, and it felt like he could have done anything to me at that point. I felt so powerless," said Walsh. "To me it speaks volumes. To me it says, 'I can still get you.'
"If you cannot protect a survivor or a victim in an institution, then how are you going to protect them out in society? How are you going to protect people on the outside when you can't on the inside?" said Walsh.
Proctor was arrested in 1979 after abducting and raping Walsh and a friend. They were 15 years old at the time. Proctor had also raped and killed Catherine Cluney, 21, a few weeks prior.
After years of hearings, Proctor was convicted in 1995 of first-degree murder, attempted murder, rape and buggery.
While the names of victims of sexual assault are usually not published, Walsh got the court to remove the ban on her name in 2006. Walsh said she felt it was important for her to speak out "so that he would never get free again, so that I would be the last victim."
But now, Walsh said she feels more afraid than ever. She said although she has filed complaints with the Correctional Service of Canada, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and Manitoba Justice Minister Andrew Swan, she has not had her complaints addressed.
"The safety of Steven and I was overlooked with no explanation or consequences for him. I can't even explain the toll physically and mentally this has taken on us," said Walsh.
Although Walsh continues to experience post-traumatic stress from her attack, she maintains she will continue to attend Proctor's parole hearings.
"How I get the strength to keep attending these hearings is I feel like I'm a voice for the people who can't speak. I take all of them with me. When I'm speaking my voice and he's looking at me in the face and I'm keeping him there, that's my kind of sense of I have power," said Walsh. "I was not his first victim but I will be his last."
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 12, 2012 A7
History
Updated on Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 10:51 AM CDT: Corrects name of Tracey Walsh
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Apple trick on Ellen falls short for city woman
- Couple faces new charges of sexual assault
- The end of the credit card?
- A new mom's booze-fuelled hell
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Gentle, humble native leader who made history lies in state
- WAG's 100 Masters exhibit drawing more than art aficionados
- Goose gets cooked in Linden Woods
- Police identify slaying victims
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Police identify slaying victims
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- 'Responsible Winnipeg' ads appear on sign run by mayor-owned Goldeyes' baseball park
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Headingley grass fire destroys dealership's cars
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Parents, community relieved and elated as missing boy found safe
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Man missing since 2009 found safe
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- U of M to chop $5M out of $642-M budget
- U of M researchers awarded $9.5M in grants, U of W $2.2M
- Gentle, humble native leader who made history lies in state
- WAG's 100 Masters exhibit drawing more than art aficionados
- Elijah Harper: The humble man who said no
- Goose gets cooked in Linden Woods
- New main event confirmed at Winnipeg’s UFC 161 due to Barao injury
- Province courts European workers
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Fishing for fashion
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Newly minted MD a beacon for kids in youth program
- North End proud
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- Bethania CEO put on leave during investigation
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Black market in moose thrives
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Steen invests $1M in family entertainment centre
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Boost same-sex curricula: union
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.