Former Saskatoon Christian school leader found guilty of assaulting students
John Olubobokun was found guilty on all nine counts of assault with a weapon in provincial court on Monday.
For former student Caitlin Erickson, the guilty verdict is a long-awaited moment of justice.
'It was just very emotional to hear the judge validate everything that happened,' Erickson said. 'This was the first time to actually have a judge sit there and just be like, this was not OK, and this was abuse.'
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
The assaults occurred during Olubobokun's tenure as the school's director from 2003 to 2007. Charges were not filed until 2023, when several former students came forward, sharing accounts of being struck with a wooden cricket bat-like paddle while attending the private Christian school.
Story continues below advertisement
Erickson, who was among those who came forward, believes the school's multiple name changes over the years, including to Legacy Christian Academy and now Valour Academy, were attempts to distance the institution from the allegations. However, she remains hopeful that accountability will ultimately be taken.
'This is one person, but there was a lot of people… the school leadership, the church leadership that knew what this man was doing,' Erickson said. 'Some of them facilitated or were party to it as well.'
While Olubobokun's conviction is seen as a victory, Erickson emphasized that this is just one step in a much larger fight for justice. She and other former students continue to press forward with additional criminal trials still to come, as well as an appeal of a judge's dismissal of a class-action lawsuit filed back in June.
'We're just gonna continue down this path of just showing up for court, continuing to be there, continuing to have the strength to testify against these people,' Erickson said. 'We'll continue to see this process through.'
Olubobokun will be sentenced later this month.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
32 minutes ago
- Global News
What's behind the clashes between Thailand and Cambodia?
Armed clashes have broken out between Thailand and Cambodia in long-disputed border areas, rapidly escalating months-long tensions. The fighting included gunfire exchanges, shelling and rocket fire, which have killed at least 14 people in Thailand and one in Cambodia and wounded dozens, while driving tens of thousands of people to flee homes near the border. Thailand also hit Cambodia with air strikes. It was the second armed confrontation since a Cambodian soldier was shot dead in May and a major escalation that came hours after the two countries downgraded diplomatic relations following a land mine explosion that injured Thai soldiers. The Thai military reported clashes at locations along the border near four Thai provinces on Friday. Here's what to know about the dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. Story continues below advertisement How the dispute began The dispute flared in May after armed forces of Thailand and Cambodia briefly fired at each other in a relatively small, contested border area that each country claims as its own. Both sides said they acted in self-defense. One Cambodian soldier was killed. 2:23 Dramatic escalation in Thailand, Cambodia border dispute leaves at least 12 dead While the countries said afterwards they agreed to de-escalate the situation, Cambodian and Thai authorities continued to implement or threaten measures short of armed force, keeping tensions high. Story continues below advertisement Thailand added tight restrictions at the border with Cambodia that stopped almost all crossings except for students, medical patients and others with essential needs. On Thursday, Thai authorities announced they were sealing the border entirely. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Cambodia also banned Thai movies and TV shows, stopped the import of Thai fuel, fruits and vegetables and boycotted some of its neighbor's international internet links and power supply. Fighting sparks political turmoil in Thailand Nationalist passions on both sides have inflamed the situation. Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from office July 1 to be investigated for possible ethics violations over her handling of the border dispute following a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian leader. In the June call, Paetongtarn referred to Cambodian former Prime Minister Hun Sen as 'uncle' and criticized Thai military leadership, remarks framed by critics as disrespectful to national sovereignty. Story continues below advertisement Hun Sen was succeeded by his son Hun Manet in 2023 but remains influential as Senate president. He was a longtime friend of her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a popular but divisive former prime minister, but they became estranged over the border dispute. The leaked call sparked widespread outrage and protests. Paetongtarn's Pheu Thai party-led coalition also weakened when its second-largest partner, the Bhumjaithai Party, withdrew support, citing her perceived softness toward Cambodia. Paetongtarn has apologized and argued her comments were a negotiating tactic. Her ally, former Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, was appointed acting prime minister. Border claims cause periodic tensions Border disputes are long-standing issues that have caused periodic tensions between the two neighbors. Thailand and Cambodia share more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) of land border. The contesting claims stem largely from a 1907 map drawn under French colonial rule that was used to separate Cambodia from Thailand. Cambodia has been using the map as a reference to claim territory, while Thailand has argued the map is inaccurate. Story continues below advertisement The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over the temple area to Cambodia. The ruling became a major irritant in bilateral relations. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011, following several clashes between its army and Thai forces that killed about 20 people and displaced thousands. The court reaffirmed the ruling in Cambodia's favor in 2013. Cambodia has again turned to the international court to resolve the border disputes but Thailand has rejected the court's jurisdiction.
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Hockey players' acquittal reverberates in southwestern Ontario city after ruling
The acquittal of five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team who were accused of sexual assault continues to reverberate in the southwestern Ontario city where their high-profile trial played out. Dozens gathered outside the London, Ont., courthouse Thursday evening to show support for the complainant, while rallies earlier in the day saw a mix of supporters for the woman and the players. Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote were all acquitted of sexual assault, and McLeod of a separate charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault, in a ruling the defence deemed a 'resounding vindication.' Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia found the complainant's testimony was not credible or reliable, and that there were 'troubling aspects' in how she delivered some of her evidence. The judge said the complainant tended to blame others for inconsistencies in her narrative and exaggerated her level of intoxication that night. Story continues below advertisement Carroccia said she found there was 'consent not vitiated by fear,' noting the absence of physical force, violence or threats during the 2018 encounter. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Stephanie Richardson, who participated in the Thursday evening rally, said she was 'disappointed and frustrated' after the ruling, but took solace in the solidarity on display at the gathering. 'It's a very positive tone,' she said. 3:56 Why the judge acquitted all 5 former Hockey Canada players in sex assault trial Jessica Bonilla-Damptey, director of the Sexual Assault Centre (Hamilton and Area), also took part in the event and said the show of support was uplifting. The ruling came roughly seven years after the incident that led to the charges — an encounter that took place in a hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018. The incident first came to the public's attention in 2022, after TSN reported that Hockey Canada had quietly settled a lawsuit filed against the sports organization and eight unnamed players for an undisclosed amount. Story continues below advertisement Court heard the organization moved ahead with the settlement without the players' knowledge or agreement. David Humphrey, who represents McLeod, said after Thursday's ruling that the 'one-sided narrative' laid out in the lawsuit unfairly shaped public perception for years and created a lasting and false impression of guilt that harmed his client's reputation and career.
Global News
10 hours ago
- Global News
Defence seeks no jail time for B.C. spa owner convicted of sexually assaulting 7 women
A Burnaby spa operator convicted of sexually assaulting seven women while providing 'vaginal tightening' treatments should not spend any additional time behind bars, his lawyer has argued. A jury convicted Farshad Khojsteh-Kashani of seven counts of sexual assault in April, and he has been in custody since. At trial, jurors heard that many of the victims had come to him seeking other treatments when he introduced them to the invasive vaginal procedure, which is performed with an 18-centimetre wand. The trial heard that Khojsteh-Kashani had rubbed victims' clitorises and penetrated them with his fingers. The court heard he asked one victim if using the wand had 'turned her on' and asked another if she wanted him to 'finish her off.' On Thursday, defence lawyer Joel Whysall argued his client should be sentenced to a conditional sentence, to be served in the community, of two-years less a day followed by three years of probation. Story continues below advertisement 2:12 Sentencing hearing for Burnaby spa owner's sexual assault trial Whysall argued that Khojsteh-Kashani has no criminal record, is not a significant risk to reoffend, and has 'already forfeited so much' in terms of his career and business. 'This conviction, that's it. It's all in the garbage and will never come back,' he told the court, adding Khojsteh-Kashani has already been subject to public shaming and media attention. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The 52-year-old, who described himself on his website as 'Dr. Farshad,' is not licenced doctor in Canada, however was trained as one in Iran the court heard. On Thursday, Khojsteh-Kashani addressed the court through an interpreter, saying that before 'this happened to him' he had a 19-year career, including as a GP, where he saw approximately 100,000 clients, about three-quarters of them women, and that 'you cannot find even one complaint.' Whysall told the court Khojsteh-Kashani's offending was 'situational,' and limited to the use of the wand during the tightening procedures. He said Khojsteh-Kashani had obtained the device and thought he could handle using it, but could not. Story continues below advertisement 'He took leave of his senses due to the temptation … he gave in to his lust and temptation and he lost his mind,' he argued. 'We're not dealing with someone who's touched a child, he's not a pedophile.' On Wednesday, the court heard victim impact statements from the women Khojsteh-Kashani assaulted, who described the lasting emotional damage of the incidents. 'I trusted Farshad…but instead he betrayed my trust in the worst, violating way possible … He hurt me physically and psychologically,' one woman told the court 'I will never forget how vulnerable and violated I felt that day,' another said through tears. 'Just driving past the location in Burnaby sends chills through my spine.' Whysall argued the only aggravating factor in the case was the trust the women had placed in Khojsteh-Kashani, though he acknowledged he denied the offences and that he did not plead guilty, which could have been a mitigating factor. The Crown is seeking a sentence of 12 years and three months in prison and a lifetime entry on the sex offender registry. Khojsteh-Kashani has been in jail since April 2, when a B.C. Supreme Court jury found him guilty of seven sexual assaults at Fab Skin Care over two and a half years starting in 2019. Story continues below advertisement Justice Lisa Warren has reserved her decision until at least mid-September.
