A B.C. Supreme Court judge in Smithers sentenced a Lake Babine Nation hereditary chief on Monday, Dec. 16 to two years less a day — including 18 months house arrest — for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in Burns Lake.
Justice John Harvey noted that Ronnie Mathew West, 64, had pleaded guilty on the first day of his scheduled trial in November 2023, three years after the crime. Harvey decided that a conditional sentence to be served in the community, plus three years probation, was “fit and proper.”
In his oral verdict, Harvey said that the victim stayed overnight at West’s residence on a pullout couch after helping West build a smokehouse. Without asking, West got into bed with the girl, who resisted.
Early in the morning, West had unprotected sex with her without her consent. “According to the agreed statement of facts, she froze and laid there until he ‘finished’,” Harvey said.
They plowed the driveway together, then drove three hours to Prince George. Later, via Snapchat, West apologized, but the girl said she was upset and had not consented.
Five months later, following a panic attack, the victim reported the sexual assault to her mother, who took her to the RCMP. The incident was investigated and West charged.
Harvey said the offence was also an abuse of trust and the victim deeply affected to the point that she is “emotionally lost and broken.” She did not graduate high school, is “scarred emotionally for life” and has experienced nightmares and thoughts of suicide.
Harvey said West, not surprisingly, “suffered a significant fall from grace,” having been stripped of his hereditary title. He is no longer able to participate in some of the ceremonies associated with the position. His behaviour was denounced at a potlatch and he was referred for counselling.
“At the sentencing hearing, he expressed remorse for the pain caused to the complainant and two others that have been collaterally affected by his actions,” Harvey said.
Harvey said he had received a number of character reference letters calling West’s behaviour “highly out of character.”
The judge said mitigating factors included West’s remorse, lack of criminal record and his low risk to reoffend. As a child, he attended the Catholic-run Immaculata Indian day school in Burns Lake, and relayed vivid memories of suffering mental, physical and sexual abuse at the school.
“He advised the author of the pre-sentence report that he’d been subject to sexual abuse as a child and that he was still participating in counselling sessions while in Burns Lake,” Harvey said. “He denies any involvement with substance abuse, either alcohol or drugs.”
Under Harvey’s sentence, West must remain confined at his property during the first 18 months, except to leave for emergency medical care, employment, court attendance, religious services, legal, medical or dental appointments.
He is banned from contacting or communicating with the victim, must not possess a weapon and will be added to the national sex offender registry. He must perform 80 hours of community service work within the 18 months.
West was one of the witnesses who testified at 2023 hearings by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
Six Lake Babine First Nation members complained in 2016 that the RCMP violated the Canadian Human Rights Act by failing to properly investigate allegations of physical and sexual abuse by a teacher dating back to 1969 at Immaculata. They accused the RCMP of systemic racism.
Last summer, the tribunal reserved its decision.
The identity of the Immaculata teacher, who was not criminally charged, is protected by a publication ban.
