Canadian RCMP Officer Who Inappropriately Interrogated Sexual Assault Survivor Claims He Did Nothing Wrong (VIDEO)

About two months ago, a video went viral that showed an RCMP officer inappropriately interrogating a minor, who was a sexual assault survivor. After months of silence, the Kelowna RCMP officer who inappropriately questioned an Indigenous sexual assault victim has publically claimed that he did nothing wrong during the interrogation. 

Warning: This article and a video included below contains descriptions of sexual assault, which may be difficult for some people. If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, call the Assaulted Women's Helpline at 1(866)863-0511 or find them online here.

The viral video shocked many when it surfaced. It showed a Kelowna, BC RCMP officer asking an underage survivor of sexual assault a series of inappropriate questions. 

In the video, the RCMP officer is heard asking the girl, who has not been identified, a series of what seems to be inappropriate questions — such as asking if she was turned on, if she said "no" or made any effort to stop the attacks, and if she was responsive to her attacker's sexual advances.

Just one month following the event, the woman, now an adult, spoke out about the incident with APTN National News. She stated that she now suffers from PTSD and has a general distrust in cops. 

Now, the RCMP officer that was blurred out in the video has spoken up. In a public statement posted online and accessed by KelownaNow, Corporal Kenneth Hall claims that there was nothing wrong with his actions. 

Halls denies that the interview was “improper” and “denies each and every allegation.” According to KelownaNow, Hall has stated that the only truth in the claim is his position in the RCMP. 

According to KelownaNow, Hall has denied that the woman suffered “any injury, loss, damage or expenses as alleged in the Notice of Civil Claim, or at all.”

The woman is currently seeking punitive damages for "loss of guidance, care and companionship, loss of income and loss of value of services" as a result of Hall's "reckless, arrogant, high-handed and abusive" actions. 

During the unfolding, Narcity reached out to RCMP for a comment. In an email, RCMP responded and stated that “new training for RCMP officers continue to be a priority,” and “a course on interviewing witnesses and victims was recently updated.”

“Cultural competency training, trauma-informed investigations training and an advanced course for sexual assault investigators are under development," they said. "We are developing this training with subject matter experts in psychology, advocacy, and sexual assault investigations.”

While Hall does not see any wrongdoing in his conduct, the Internet and recognizable members of the public have actively called out him and the RCMP for allowing this to happen.