Russell Williams' victim files suit for $7 million

Russell Williams. File photo

By Ashliegh Gehl

A Tweed woman sexually assaulted by former CFB Trenton base commander Russell Williams filed a lawsuit Friday, claiming police failed to protect her from a potential predator in her neighbourhood.

Laurie Massicotte, 49, of Hastings County, issued a statement of claim to the Supreme Court of Justice on Sept. 23, suing Williams, his wife Mary-Elizabeth Harriman and the Ontario Provincial Police for $7 million.

OPP said they’re not in a position to comment on Massicotte’s claims at this time because the matter is before the court.  The allegations outlined in the claim and have not been proven in a court of law.

Massicotte is one of two sexual assaults Williams pleaded guilty to on Oct. 18, 2010, along with the first-degree murder of Jessica Lloyd of Tweed and Cpl. Marie-France Comeau of Brighton. Williams was found guilty of 82 counts of break and enter. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for at least 25 years and is confined at Kingston Penitentiary.

In September 2009, Williams broke into Massicotte’s home in Tweed when she was sleeping. Massicotte claims she was attacked, bound and sexually assaulted by Williams who took photographs and videos of her naked.

The statement of claim identifies Williams’ actions as inflicting mental suffering, causing Massicotte to fear for her children, exhibit suicidal behaviour, build substance dependencies and suffer from bouts of depression. As a result, Massicotte claims she is unable to function normally in society.

She also claims OPP officers from the Central Hastings Detachment left her bound, blindfolded and partially naked on the couch as police teams investigated the scene.

Massicotte claims an officer accused her of faking the attack, calling her “crazy” over the dispatch.

The statement of claim acknowledges a police apology to Massicotte for failing to warn her about a potential predator in the area, alluding to a similar incident that happened to a ‘Jane Doe’ on Massicotte’s street 12 days before her assault.

The statement says Williams committed 55 break and enters prior to her assault. She feels police had ample opportunity to warn the community considering a suspicious peak in break and enters in her neighbourhood.

Massicotte also claims her three daughters were severely disrupted due to the impact Williams had on their lives,  accusing a constable of disseminating details of the assault to his daughter who attended the same high school as Massicotte’s daughter. In the claim she cites the treatment two of her daughters received in high school, suggesting they were ridiculed.

The statement of claim suggests Massicotte’s family relations are fragmented, her daughters have low self-esteem and are humiliated by their mother’s assault.