Disgraced Cree medicine man sentenced to 8 years in prison for multiple sexual assaults

Disgraced Cree medicine man Cecil Wolfe is going to prison for sexual assaults he committed against a dozen women over nine years.

Justice John Morrall sentenced Wolfe to eight years at Court of King's Bench in Saskatoon on Wednesday. The 64-year-old had pleaded guilty to the assaults in February.

The self-styled Cree medicine man met with a variety of women over nine years in homes and hotel rooms in Muskeg Lake, Onion Lake and Saskatoon. The women he assaulted were drawn to him as a trusted healer and sought him out to help with maladies ranging from depression to cancer.

Morrall heard sentencing submissions last month from prosecutor Lana Morelli, co-chair Maria Shupenia and defence lawyer Harvey Neufeld. The Crown and defence both agreed that Wolfe would serve a penitentiary sentence, but the question was how long he would spend behind bars.

The defence asked for a sentence in the four- to five-year range. The Crown argued for 10 years and nine months.

Morrall opted for the higher range because of the number of offences, their intrusiveness and the impact on the victims and the larger community. He said the assaults had an "outsized effect" in the victims because of Wolfe's dual roles as a spiritual leader and physical healer.

In passing sentence, Morrall spoke to Wolfe and implored he "teach others to not do what you have done."