Sexual assault victim involving a Sydney fast food restaurant speaks out
A supervisor at a Wendy's restaurant on Welton Street in Sydney, N.S., has pleaded guilty to sexual assault and one of his victims is speaking out about the difficulty of coming forward.
“So, I started there in 2018 and probably three months in, my manager followed me to the freezer and put his hands up my shirt. He has put his hands down my back and gone lower,” says the victim.
The woman, whose identity is protected under a publication ban, is speaking out for the first time on Friday.
She says she was 16 years old when she was working at the restaurant when the incidents first started happening.
“It was reported in 2019 to the manager and HR manager and the owner of the restaurant, but he continued to work there for another year until police investigation was done,” she said.
According to court documents, 25-year-old David Macdonald was charged with five counts of sexual assault involving five different complainants.
He was arrested in August 2020.
“It really was hard to come forward. The police interview was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life,” added the victim.
This woman and another woman have filed lawsuits against the owner of the Wendy's in Sydney - T-Roy Enterprises Ltd. - alleging the company failed to protect them from a supervisor. The allegations have not been tested in court.
Both plaintiffs were minors when the alleged offences took place in 2018 and 2019 inside the restaurant.
CTV reached out to the company, but did not hear back by news time on Friday. However, in a statement of defence filed in June in one case, the company denied the allegations in the claim.
“Mentally I do have trauma. I do remember the incidents. It was hard to work in a new environment and trust people and know that wasn't going to happen to me again,” said the victim.
According to court documents, Macdonald has pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault and he is scheduled to be sentenced in Sydney on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.