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CRIME VICTIM ‘RELIEVED’ OVER SEX ABUSER'S GUILTY PLEA . ARTHUR ‘DALE’ WOOD SENTENCING SET FOR DEC. 15 MANSOOR TANWEER mtanweer@metroland.com Katherine Breward was 11 when her world changed. At the time, the Halton Hills woman — now 49 — was a music student of Ar- thur 'Dale' Wood, who last month pleaded guilty to sex- ual assaulting her and oth- ers in the 1970s and ‘80s. “IT was s surprised and re- is ced a feeling of disbelief" " Bre- ward said about the Sept. 10 guilty plea. "I thought he would fight the charges to the bitter end and deny RENT WATER TREATMENT — |e IFP file photo Arthur Wood has pleaded guilty to sex assault charges. what he had done. I was re- lieved because it meant that I would not have to testify, which is always a relief since that is a stressfil ex- perience." "I was in disbelief be- cause, as a child of the '70s and '80s, I had hoped for ac- countability but not genu- inely believed I would get faa Breward is now an asso- ciate professor ofhuman re- source management at the University of Winnipeg. The case against Wood cen- tred on allegations made by four victims, who say inci- dents dated as far back as 1975. With the exception of of Breward, their names protected under a publica. tion ban. Halton Regional Police Service's Child Abuse and Sexual Assault unit opened an investigation into Wood in 2018 when victims came forward. He was first arrest- ed and charged on Mar. 27, 2018. When the investigation revealed additional victims, Wood was arrested for a sec- ond time on Apr. 20, 2018. A third arrest was made in September of the same year. arings began the following month, The police investigation resulted in charges of sexu- SAVE $500 OFF A WHOLE HOME SYSTEM NO PAYMENTS UNTIL 2022! Q 5 Mountainview Rd N, Georgetown & (905) 877-6242 www.culligan.com | info@culliganwater.ca al assault, sexual interfer- ence and gross indecency. Wood pleaded guilty gross indecency and two counts of sexual assault. More submissions will be made on thesexualinterfer- ence charge. Breward had reached out to police asking them to look into Wood on March 18. ‘I was in Junior School" she told police ina letter. "I took private vocal music lessons from Dale Wood in his home without other adults present and he molested me." Anon-jury in-person tri- al date of Sept. 13 was sched- uled originally. In the lead- up to that, in August, Wood requested Justice Bruce Durno to allow him to get a searea note "outlining any ticular and specific risks to Mr. Wood attending acourtroom, which is set up in accordance with CO- VID-19 protocols." The Sept. 10 guilty plea brought an end to that re- quest. “There is a great ne in an old Drew movie called 'Ever After!" said Breward. "She says something like ‘after today I never think of you wan But you will think of me every day for the rest of = your i life. I want to say that — ‘epsiny, | SIlIH UOWEH- dl OUL | & o prewar said she will & not be haunted by Wood. = But rather, by “our collec- tive inaction as a communi- ty. Not just myself. Over the decades there were hun dreds of] ‘people who knew or suspected something was not right. This man was a children's choral director! And nobody did a damn voz is 199010 ‘Another court ¢ date 3s se set for Nov. 24 wl tencing sabmintons ‘will be be made. Sentencing is sched- WE DIG DEEPER ON THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO YOU. VISIT THEIFP.CA TO READ CURRENT AND PAST INVESTIGATIONS: uled for Dec. 15. Don’t get stuck without fresh coffee! /| Direct from the Roastery (7) Freshly. roasted-specialty coffee Am PX IN-1a-Le male | aian Kom celel are (ele) g FEI Oe Bk ge ORDER ONLINE in BLACK CREEK “OFFEE. CO eordyouy