Rowe will face more charges

Relief is the general emotion felt by the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, as more charges of rape will be tried against convicted pedophile, Ralph Rowe. Rowe will be facing 15 more charges of sexual abuse involving 12 individuals, though a trial date has not been set.
"Our focus now is to support the survivors as we prepare for trial. Justice must be served before the survivors and their families can focus on healing and rebuilding the communities that were devastated by his abuse. It will take a long time to erase the long-standing impacts caused by Ralph Rowe," explained Fiddler.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the sexual abuse effects that plague sexually abused children and adult survivors of child abuse. Symptoms experienced are similar to those experienced by Vietnam veterans and may include sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression, which negatively impact on their daily psychosocial functioning and for which many seek professional help.
"The impact of Ralph Rowe has been devastating to our people and communities, but victims of sexual ­ and any type of abuse ­ must feel confident that they will be supported when they come forward to bring justice to these atrocities," said Fiddler, noting that high rates of suicide and jail time have been connected to Rowe's years of abuse.
The NAN Men's Healing Initiative, formerly known as the Ralph Rowe Survivor Network is setup as a supportive network for men who are survivors of sexual attacks committed by Rowe.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation is a political territorial organization representing 49 First Nation communities in James Bay Treaty 9 and Ontario portions of Treaty 5 ­ an area covering two thirds of the province of Ontario.
There was a preliminary hearing from Aug. 19 to 22, and some of the members of the Men's Healing Initiative indicated they would attend the trial.
Previously in an attempt to overcome the pain of the past, the Initiative took part in a CBC documentary entitled Faith and Disbelieving. In the documentary they demolished an Anglican mission house that embodied their tragic past. They had the blessing of the church.
"The magnitude of his abuse is becoming clearer with each new charge, and it is imperative that we bring this predator to justice," said Fiddler, who attended the Rowe trial in Kenora last year.
That trial resulted in Rowe's conviction of 20 counts of sexual offences involving First Nations boys in northern Ontario between 1977 and 1987.
Rowe, a former Anglican minister and Boy Scout master, worked in at least 18 NAN First Nation communities between 1971 and 1986. He served four and a half years of a six-year sentence in 1994 for indecent and sexual assaults involving boys aged 6 to 16.
He is currently serving a three-year sentence in a federal penitentiary in British Columbia. With this appalling amount of abuse conjugated with likewise cases, it is paramount to continually put the issue on the forefront.
"Breaking the silence around this kind of deep trauma is an important part of the healing process, and while some of the survivors may never reach that point, I acknowledge the courage new claimants have displayed in coming forward with their allegations," illustrated Fiddler.
Due to the sensitivity surrounding the events, the survivors understandably declined to comment on the matter any further.