Interview with eight-year-old girl describing accused First Nation chief’s sexual assault played for trial

A Manitoba First Nation chief pulled a young girl to the washroom “like someone (being) kidnapped” before removing her pants and taking a picture with his cellphone, the now 10-year-old alleged victim said in an interview video played in court Monday.

Christopher Traverse, who is listed as the current chief on Lake St. Martin First Nation’s website, has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault, possessing and creating child pornography and sexual interference. His trial is scheduled for two days.

The girl, accompanied by a Manitoba Justice victim services worker, watched from behind a protective screen shielding her from Traverse’s view as court was shown a video interview at the Toba Centre for Children and Youth, recorded when the girl was eight years old.

The incident is alleged to have occurred in December 2023.

On the video, the girl told an interviewer she was watching television when Traverse put her over his shoulder and carried her to the bathroom “like someone was kidnapped” and told her to pull down her pants (she amended her statement in court, saying Traverse pulled her by the hand to the bathroom).

The girl said Traverse told her to pull her pants down. When she didn’t comply, Traverse pulled her pants down himself, touching her vagina before taking a picture of her exposed body on his cellphone.

The girl said Traverse deleted the picture, and then used her cellphone to take another picture, which he “forgot” to delete.

Traverse told her not to tell anyone what happened, she said.

“I shut my mouth,” she said. “I thought I would get in big trouble if I told.”

The girl said her mother later discovered the picture on her cellphone.

“I shut my mouth… I thought I would get in big trouble if I told.” –Girl’s testimony

“She was like: ‘Who did this to you?’ I said Chris.”

Trial testimony ended early Monday afternoon after provincial court Judge Stacy Cawley consented to an adjournment request from the defence.

Court heard Crown and defence lawyers minutes earlier had been provided for the first time a copy of the photo allegedly taken from the girl’s cellphone. Defence lawyer Candace Olson said she wanted time to examine metadata attached to the picture — particularly relating to where the photo was taken — before commencing her cross-examination of the girl.

“Is it possible you took the photo yourself?” Crown attorney Boyd McGill asked the girl.

“No,” she said.

The trial will resume April 7 and on a second date that had not yet been set Monday.

“I’m not stepping down as chief. I’m going to move through the storm, and the only way out of this is going through it.”–Christopher Traverse

Traverse was arrested Feb. 1, 2024. He was 40 at the time.

In a livestreamed video posted by the First Nation on social media in April 2024, he discussed a petition calling on him to resign, saying he had no plans to do so.

“I’m not stepping down as chief. I’m going to move through the storm, and the only way out of this is going through it,” he said.

A member of Lake St. Martin told the Free Press last year that a letter was written by community elders in mid-March outlining allegations of child sexual abuse and asking Traverse to step down. That letter was given to him on April 3.

The Winnipeg Police Service said that month that it chose not to send out a public news release about the allegations because investigators didn’t believe Traverse used his authority as chief to gain access to the child. A spokeswoman said at the time that there was a possibility the victim’s identity could be impacted by a news release.

Traverse was soon replaced on the Interlake Reserves Tribal Council’s board of directors and as chairman of Anishinaabe Child and Family Services. He is also banned from attending Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs events and gatherings until the charges against him are resolved.

Traverse was elected chief in July 2022.

Lake St. Martin First Nation is about 225 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, in the Interlake region.

— With files from Canadian Press

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca