Community and advocates react to Jeffrey Sloka’s acquittal

Victims and advocates react to Jeffery Sloka’s acquittal. CTV’s Jeff Pickel reports.

A former neurologist who was facing accusations of sexually assaulting 48 female patients has been acquitted of all charges.

The decision at the Waterloo Region Courthouse in Kitchener, Ont. on Friday was devastating for some members of the community. Several women walked out of the courthouse after the verdict was read out.

Some of the women who testified during the trial said they feel retraumatized by the process and believe their evidence was dismissed by the judge.

The women who accused Sloka cannot be named due to a publication ban.

Before the decision was announced, a group of supporters and advocates gathered outside the courthouse. Some held signs while others stood in solidarity.

“I’ve said our truth”

“There’s no words to put into what happened today,” one woman said. “It is devastating on every level. But these are 40 of the strongest women that have banded together and I’ve said our truth.”

The woman told CTV News she doesn’t believe anyone was prepared for what happened in the courthouse on Friday.

“It doesn’t matter what a judge says or what people think. We know and we are behind each other one another 100 per cent.”

The parents of one of the people who accused Sloka said they are struggling with the decision.

“There are 48 different cases, and the judge treated it like a class action suit,” they said.

“No justice at all – he walked away free.”

Justice Craig Parry said he is satisfied there was a valid medical reason for examinations Jeffrey Sloka performed at his Kitchener clinic.

The verdict comes nine years after the first complaints were made about the doctor to Ontario’s regulatory body, and following a four-and-a-half year criminal trial.

Support available

The trial and the outcome has left many of the people involved in the case dealing with complex and intense emotions.

“You could feel everybody start to deflate, people start to cry,” Maddy Kenyon, public educator with the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region, said. “I think a lot of us are going to be processing this for a long time. [The decision] sends a really horrifying message about who deserves respect to safety and dignity in our community.”

“This is not what justice looks like when we talk about believing survivors and we talk about providing care for people who are harmed in our community. This is just not that,” Kenyon said.

Sara Casselman, executive director of the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region, said the Sexual Assault Support Centre is there for those finding the decision difficult.

“The court doesn’t work on a balance of probabilities, it works beyond a reasonable doubt. So, it’s really important that our community knows that not guilty does not mean not guilty of causing harm, and it doesn’t mean innocent.”

The Sexual Assault Support Centre is planning a gathering on Friday, May 1 where those impacted by the case can connect.

It’s something that could not happen during the course of the trial, to avoid suggestions that complainants were colluding.

Anyone who wants to attend is encouraged to RSVP at Sloka Verdict - Sexual Assault Support Centre Waterloo Region

Victims of sexual assault can contact the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region’s 24-hour support line at 519-741-8633.