Sexual assault, other charges stayed against Manitoba First Nation chief
IRTC chair says Lake St. Martin First Nation doesn't intend on reinstating chief
Crown prosecutors have stayed child sex charges against the chief of a Manitoba First Nation, after the child complainant admitted in court she lied about being sexually assaulted and about the man taking explicit photos of her.
Christopher Traverse was chief of Lake St. Martin First Nation when he was arrested in February 2024.
He was charged with sexual assault, sexual interference, as well as making and possessing child pornography in connection to alleged incidents in December 2023.
Traverse pleaded not guilty to all charges and has maintained his innocence since CBC News learned of the charges last year.
CBC can't name the girl or provide any details that may identify her due to a publication ban.
On the first day of his trial in March, the Crown played recorded testimony of the then-eight-year-old child, in which she accused Traverse of forcing her into a bathroom at his home, sexually assaulting her, then taking explicit photos of her on his cell phone, as well as hers.
She alleged he deleted the pictures and demanded she keep quiet about what happened.
"I never told anyone. I always shut my mouth ... because I would get in big trouble if I told," the girl said in the hour-long video.
She claimed her mother eventually discovered an archived version of the explicit photo on her phone and questioned her about it.
"Who did this to you?" she said her mother asked her, to which she replied: Chris.
In March, when Crown attorney Boyd McGill asked the alleged victim — who was in court behind a protective screen — if it was possible she had captured the picture herself, she answered no.
On the last day of Traverse's trial on Friday, the child admitted she lied about what happened.
The now-10-year-old girl's admission came under cross examination from his defence lawyer Candace Olson.
Court heard the child blamed Traverse for taking the photo, because she was afraid of getting in trouble after her mother had already discovered different footage on her phone of her going to the bathroom and warned her not to take pictures of her private parts.
"When you were telling us that Christopher took the picture and then deleted it, that was just wrong?" Olson asked.
"Yes, I just got scared," the girl answered.
Moments later, when Olson asked, "When you told us about Christopher taking you into the bathroom and taking this photo and then deleting it, that didn't happen either, did it?" the child replied: "No."
"I'm really sorry for lying," she said before court wrapped up, her voice quavering.
Traverse may not resume chief duties, says IRTC chair
Traverse could not be reached on Monday.
Last year, he was removed from the board of Anishinaabe Child and Family Services and the Interlake Reserves Tribal Council, council chair Chief Cornell McLean of Lake Manitoba First Nation said Monday.
The charges "are stayed, but they're not dismissed, right? The Crown has one year to either bring them back or dismiss his charges against him, so with that being said, we're going to follow the protocols here at IRTC and Anishinaabe CFS, and he's still not going to be reinstated to our boards," McLean said.
CBC did not hear back from Lake St. Martin's interim Chief Brad Beardy, but McLean says the community intends on keeping with the quorum of council that has lost faith in Traverse, and the First Nation has no intention of bringing him back as chief.
McLean couldn't say whether he felt the courts and police had done their due diligence, saying, "as far as I know, they were following the leads that they had."
"I wish him the best of luck."
Some of the court conditions against Traverse were lifted Friday. He can now be around children in public spaces and through work.
Traverse's trial was adjourned twice, first due to late disclosure issues, then again on the second day of his trial in April, when he was attacked before entering the courthouse that morning.
For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
With files from The Canadian Press