‘Violated, degraded, dehumanized’: Crown wants jail for Vernon chiropractor who sexually assaulted patient

CONTENT ADVISORY

Crown prosecutors want a former Vernon chiropractor to spend five months in jail for sexually assaulting a patient, saying his actions “violated, degraded, and dehumanized” the victim.

The now-retired chiropractor Murray Kievit was convicted earlier this year for sexually assaulting the woman during a treatment session in 2021.

Standing mere feet from Kievit, the victim, whose name is covered under a court-ordered publication ban, read out a lengthy statement to the court highlighting the harm that Kievit had caused her.

“I am the woman who didn’t remain silent in the grip of his abuse,” she told the court. “I am here today because Murray Kievit made a choice to sexually assault me, and I’ve been in the free fall of the agony ever since… all I could do was to be here, try not to abandon myself in the dark aftermath of being sexually assaulted.”

With her hand shaking, she told the court that the sexual assault stripped her of her dignity, safety and humanity.

“He left me feeling degraded and hollow, there is nothing I can ever do to change that, the pain of such a violation of my body is something I will grieve for the rest of my life,” she said.

She said loved ones told her she was “brave” for enduring the lengthy court process to seek justice for what happened.

“‘Brave, strong, victim, survivor’, I am tired of all the labels from this deeply painful time of my life,” she said. “I don’t want any of them, and somehow I am all of them.”

The woman, who is in her mid-30s, said she was a mother and a wife and “not labels.”

“It is a miracle I am alive today, and I am here today as myself, as I have been every day of this trial in the same room as my abuser,” she said. “If I must remember him for the rest of my life, I have done everything I can to make damn sure he never forgets me either.”

Crown prosecutor Catherine Rezansoff said that Kievit had shown no remorse for what he did and has not acknowledged his actions.

“She was recovering from serious medical illness, she trusted him to provide her with appropriate treatment, they were in a small room together alone, with the door closed, (she) did not have any expectations at all that she would be touched in her vagina area,” the Crown said. “Instead of receiving needed and required therapeutic treatment from a trusted professional, she was violated.”

The Crown highlighted the extreme abuse of trust between the patient and the chiropractor.

“A strong, clear message must be sent… that the conduct carries with it severe consequences, including incarceration,” Rezansoff said.

Defence lawyer Michael Klein argued the 61-year-old former chiropractor should instead be sentenced to house arrest with a curfew.

In an unusual move, no pre-sentence report or psychological assessment was presented to the court, and the defence lawyer gave no explanation for why Kievit had sexually assaulted the woman.

The court heard he had owned the White House Wellness Centre and been married for 36 years, and had two adult children. The lawyer said Kievit had led a pro-social life and was an upstanding member of the community.

However, Kievit does have a history of sexual assault allegations and, in the late 90s, was charged with sexually assaulting six women who were patients. He was found not guilty, but following his acquittal, the regulator did take action and fined him $4,000 and ordered him to pay $15,000 in costs.

A decade later, he was in front of the regulator again and admitted he’d put his hands down the front of a woman’s pants without her consent. It was suspended for three months.

In July 2023, he had his licence permanently cancelled and was ordered to pay $1,000.

After a morning of legal arguments, the judge adjourned the case and will make a decision on whether Kievit goes to jail or not at a later date.

The adjournment comes almost four years after the woman was sexually assaulted and three years after he was charged.

NOTE TO READERS: To connect with a victim service program or violence against women program call VictimLink BC at 1-800-563-0808. VictimLink BC provides information and referrals to all victims, as well as immediate crisis response to victims of sexual and family violence.