“Mr. Rancourt, you no longer own me.”
The victim in a local case of sexual exploitation and sexual assault delivered an victim impact statement on Friday at the Brockville courthouse, leaving many in the room in tears.
“I was outsmarted and manipulated by a person I trusted,” the victim said, adding she has been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of the abuse.
“I can’t walk down the street. I live each and every day in fear of being hit, of being yelled at, of being used as a sexual tool.”
Dave Rancourt, a former teacher at St. Mary Catholic High School, was found guilty on one count of sexual exploitation and one count of sexual assault in July.
Rancourt, 45, was originally charged in 2014 when the victim, then a 22-year-old woman, came forward to Brockville Police with a number of allegations of physical and sexual abuse.
Police said they learned through interviews the abuse allegedly began in 2005 and continued until recently. On Friday the Crown prosecutor described Rancourt’s abuse as “psychological manipulation in the highest order.”
“My virginity was stolen by my high school teacher,” the victim said, adding she was robbed of her innocence and had many milestone moments in her life stolen from her.
“I’m learning how to live again,” she said, adding her “whole sense of self has been warped.” (more...)
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