Victim speaks at sentencing hearing of former recovery house worker convicted of sexual assault

As a judge decides how much time a former recovery home worker will spend behind bars for sexual assault, one of his victims is speaking out.

On Friday, a New Westminster Supreme Court judge heard submissions from Crown and defence at the sentencing hearing for Adam Haber, a former recovery house worker who was convicted of two counts of sexual assault against two women who came to him for help.

One of those women — who read her victim impact statement to the judge and whose identity is protected by the courts — spoke to CTV News about the traumatic assault and why she hasn’t allowed it to define her.

In 2012, when she was 60 days sober and needed a place to stay, the woman says multiple people at Westminster House — a recovery centre for women and girls — recommended Adam Haber’s home.

“He had told me that he would be sleeping on the couch, and I would be sleeping in his bed. And in the middle of the night, he entered the room, and that’s where the assault took place,” said the woman. “He sexually assaulted me in my sleep.”

When she reported the crime to police, she thought she was the only one.

“I had no idea that there were any other victims. The only victim I knew was me,” she said, adding she was ostracized in the recovery community after telling police what Haber did to her.

Eventually other women in recovery came forward with similar stories, and this past February, Haber was convicted of two counts of sexual assault. He had been working at Last Door Recovery Society until the charges came to light, and both victims were former clients of Westminster House.

“I’d been dreaming of this for 13 long years, and I was overjoyed,” the woman said. “But I was also a little bit suspicious if he’s actually going to get jail time and what those repercussions are, because in the past 10 months since he’s been convicted, he’s been walking the streets as a convicted sex offender with zero consequences.”

After testifying against him during his trial, the woman said she was ready to face Haber again in court on Friday.

“I wasn’t scared, I was actually feeling quite empowered about being there today, knowing that this person will get his sentence,” she said.

Her victim impact statement focused on how she didn’t allow the assault to define her life.

“I just wanted people to know that although it was a troubling time in my life, and I was very passionate about bringing this person to justice, I also sort of got on with my own life, and I didn’t let it ruin the next 10 years of my life,” she said.

She is now a personal trainer who works with women, and hopes her story empowers other victims of sexual assault.

“If this were to ever happen to anybody else, all I can plead with you is to go to the police in a timely matter, and do not give up,” she said.

In a joint sentencing submission, crown and defence recommended Haber serve a total of three years behind bars for the two sexual assaults.

“I know that the maximum sentence for one sexual assault is seven years, and that would always be my hope, that he would get seven,” the woman said. “I would hope he gets as much jail time as humanly possible.”

Adam Haber will be sentenced on Nov. 7.