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Woman attacked in dorm last fall sues U of M

University accused of inadequate security measures after man broke in, assaulted student

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A former University of Manitoba student who was attacked while she was sleeping in her campus housing complex last fall is suing the post-secondary institution, arguing it failed to protect her.

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A former University of Manitoba student who was attacked while she was sleeping in her campus housing complex last fall is suing the post-secondary institution, arguing it failed to protect her.

The attack happened at the U of M’s Arthur V. Mauro Student Residence at 120 Dafoe Rd. at around 4:45 a.m. on Oct. 25.

The intruder entered the building, broke into a secured area and then into the woman’s room, where he physically assaulted her. She managed to fight him off and call for help. The woman was taken to hospital and was treated for her injuries.

JESSE BOILY / FREE PRESS FILES
                                The University of Manitoba’s Arthur V. Mauro Student Residence at 120 Dafoe Rd.

JESSE BOILY / FREE PRESS FILES

The University of Manitoba’s Arthur V. Mauro Student Residence at 120 Dafoe Rd.

A man was arrested later that day and charged with several offences.

The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench by Vancouver lawyer Tyler Dennis on the woman’s behalf, accuses the U of M of negligence and breaching its duty of care to the woman.

The university’s lawyers have not yet filed a statement of defence, but a statement provided to the Free Press on Monday indicated administrators are aware of and intend to respond to the lawsuit.

The woman has since withdrawn from the university, the court filing indicates.

“The defendant created conditions that allowed the perpetrator to encounter the plaintiff,” reads the court filing.

“The defendant failed to implement adequate security measures, which provided the perpetrator with the opportunity and means to access the premises and harm the plaintiff.”

The lawsuit alleges the U of M had an opportunity and duty to inspect and investigate its security policies and procedures for inadequacies, and take steps to fix deficiencies to protect students.

The court filing claims the university was negligent by failing to supervise the building to prevent the suspect’s access and failing to have a proper system to monitor for and report unauthorized individuals on the premises, particularly at night.

The lawsuit also says the university failed to investigate the activities of the perpetrator, despite its duty to protect students, and failed to adequately counsel and assist the woman once it learned of what happened.

The woman says in the lawsuit she has suffered physical pain, mental and emotional trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other harms.

She has sought medical treatment as well as psychological and spiritual counselling, which the court papers say will continue throughout her life.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, past and future health-care costs and court costs.

The Winnipeg Police Service has not revealed how the intruder managed to bypass security measures within the U of M student residence. The building where the attack occurred is six storeys and can house up to 316 students in 155 suites.

“Student safety is a top priority and we have implemented a number of additional safety measures,” the statement, attributed to the university’s administration, reads.

“In March 2025, UM also held several safety sessions for the community that were well attended and there are plans for more in the future.”

Upgrades included physical improvements to student residences and 24-hour security guard presence.

Garry Junior Edwards was charged with sexual assault, robbery, overcoming resistance by attempting to choke and four break-and-enter offences. He’s next due in court on the charges in June.

Edwards, who is in his mid-40s, is a registered sex offender with a history of violence. He was released from Stony Mountain prison in May last year after serving a sentence of being unlawfully at large.

Previously, he had been let out of Stony in November 2023 after serving a 12-year sentence for two counts each of sex assault with a weapon and armed robbery, as well as flight from police, dangerous driving and theft over $5,000.

He was convicted of those crimes in 2013.

Edwards, who was addicted to crack cocaine, randomly robbed and violently sexually assaulted two women at knifepoint in separate incidents downtown in April 2012.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Erik Pindera

Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020.  Read more about Erik.

Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.

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