The man responsible for the April 2020 mass killings in Nova Scotia victimized vulnerable black women through his work as a dentist and traded dental work for sex, according to a new report submitted to the Mass Casualty Commission on Thursday. The commission is investigating the circumstances and systemic failures that contributed to the events of April 18 and 19, 2020, when the gunman, Gabriel Wortman, killed 22 neighbors and strangers—including a pregnant woman—and destroyed homes while driving a police cruiser. The new report, written by staff at the Avalon Sexual Assault Center and the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), includes the perspectives of women who either had direct experiences with Wortman, witnessed his behavior or knew others in the community who was influenced by him. The women shared their experiences at meetings with the organizations in August and September. The dentist bragged about providing discounted dental services and, when patients couldn’t pay the full amount, would try to trade his services for sex, according to the report. He used his Halifax clinic on Novalea Drive in the city’s north end to exploit sexually marginalized people, sex workers and African Nova Scotian women, the report says, and was known to make sexually suggestive comments to marginalized clients. Wortman’s name was a “household name” among many African Nova Scotian communities, according to the report.
Provincial subsidies helped build confidence
Wortman received grants through the provincial Department of Community Services (DCS) to provide dental work to people receiving employment support, income support and disability support. Between 2015 and 2020, it received $434,406 from the province for these services. Being supported by the department meant some patients “felt he would be a safe person to work with”, the report says. “They assumed that the thorough screening and vetting of the offender would have been completed by DCS.” Wortman used his DCS grants to work with marginalized people and African Nova Scotians and gained trust by “presenting an image of doing good to the community by lowering his rates to better meet their needs.” He encouraged some marginalized people to “consider pulling their teeth to give them a ‘mouth full of beautiful teeth’”. A Halifax Regional Police investigator is seen in a suite above the Atlantic Denture Clinic on April 20, 2020. (Tim Krochak/Getty Images) He also offered cash to people on income assistance and to African Nova Scotian women who would refer friends and family members to his clinic. A Department of Community Services spokesman said in an emailed statement Thursday that while the department helps clients pay for some dental services, in most cases, clients choose their own providers.
“He openly took advantage of desperate people”
Some filed complaints about Wortman’s conduct as a dental technician. The Mass Casualty Commission has previously heard that the Nova Scotia Dental Licensing Board received at least eight complaints about Wortman between 1998 and 2020, including three from women who described abusive behavior and one who was subjected to explicit sexual comments during her treatment. In 2007, Wortman signed a settlement agreement with the board and was ordered to receive counseling. He wrote to the board at least three times after that to defend himself against the allegations, each time saying the patients either had mental health problems or were out to get him. Twenty-two people died on April 18 and 19, 2020. Top row from left: Gina Goulet, Dawn Gulensin, Jolene Oliver, Frank Gulensin, Sean McLeod, Alana Jenkins. Second row: John Zahl, Lisa McCully, Joey Webber, Heidi Stevenson, Heather O’Brien and Jamie Blair. Third row from top: Kristen Beaton, Lillian Campbell, Joanne Thomas, Peter Bond, Tom Bagley and Greg Blair. Bottom row: Emily Tuck, Joy Bond, Corrie Ellison and Aaron Tuck. (CBC) But many did not file complaints with regulators or the police. The report explains that members of marginalized communities, such as black and indigenous people, often do not feel safe to report violence because they may face victim blaming, mistrust, racism or rejection. Some – especially sex workers – fear that reporting incidents to the police or other institutions could lead to their arrest if they are suspected of engaging in criminal activity. They may also face risks of immigration detention, deportation, or involvement in the child welfare system. “It was both insightful and heartbreaking to hear how one man had negatively impacted so many people,” said a statement from Mukisa Kakembo, the coordinator of Creating Communities of Care, one of the groups that ran the discussion sessions. “From the stories that were told, he openly took advantage of desperate people. When asked why people didn’t come forward, the simple answer was, no one would believe them.” Sheila Wildeman is an associate professor at Schulich Law School and co-chair of the East Coast Prison Justice Society. (Rachel Kelly) During her testimony Thursday, Sheila Wildeman, the co-president of the East Coast Prison Justice Society, said she found it “deeply shocking and disgusting” that Wortman used his position to cultivate relationships with poor and marginalized women to to manipulate them for sex. “The perpetrator understood that these were disposable and demeaning people – that they were people who would not have an easy time … turning to the state for support and security.” He wondered why the Board of Dental Licensing and the welfare system might have seemed inaccessible to those who had been threatened or harmed by Wortman and might otherwise have filed a complaint. “What would have happened if there had been an approach and if there had been a place for them to register their concerns? If there had been trust with the institutions charged with public safety, I wonder what would have happened.”
recommendations
The report from the Avalon Sexual Assault Center and LEAF contains 21 recommendations made by marginalized survivors who attended the organizations’ meetings. Some of these recommendations include that:
The province operates a third-party reporting program for victims of sexual assault. Federal and provincial funders are improving oversight of professionals and organizations that provide services to marginalized people, including the review of disciplinary complaints. Federal and provincial governments are aware of the “red flag” of professionals providing reduced-cost services to marginalized groups. Private practice practitioners and service providers discuss their code of conduct and complaints procedures with anyone who uses their service. The province provides core funding to: services for sex workers and people experiencing sexual violence. 24/7 support line for victims of sexual assault. services for perpetrators of violence; and African Nova Scotian and Indigenous gender-based violence navigators and advocates. The province introduces mandatory education in schools on gender-based violence, bystander intervention, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
