Edmonton lawyer convicted of sexually abusing kids abandons attraction

“I’m so relieved to lastly really feel closure. No extra worrying about any chance of attraction. He’ll serve his time for what he did.”

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A retired Edmonton lawyer sentenced to 14 years in jail for molesting his kids is abandoning his attraction.

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Helmut Berndt, 73, filed formal discover to withdraw his sentence and conviction attraction Friday.

In April, a jury discovered Berndt responsible of committing 5 intercourse offences towards his three kids between 1986 and 2001. A well known private harm lawyer, Berndt was additionally an outspoken critic of sexual abuse schooling in Edmonton faculties.

“I’m so relieved to lastly really feel closure,” daughter Lavinia Perreault stated in an e-mail Friday. “No extra worrying about any chance of attraction. He’ll serve his time for what he did.”

Berndt was charged in 2019 after Perreault and her two siblings got here ahead. They did so over the protests of their mom, who continued to assist Berndt.

At trial, the siblings described how Berndt repeatedly abused them within the household dwelling. Perreault, 37, recalled her father sexually touching her when she was 4 years previous. Cedric Shui, her brother, stated the abuse started in elementary college and ended when he was 15.

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Berndt claimed he was harmless and that his kids “have been to not be believed resulting from being, variously, mistaken, confused, deceitful, vindictive or usually unreliable,” Justice Earl Wilson stated in a abstract of defence lawyer Brian Beresh’s case.

Wilson finally sentenced Berndt to 14 years in jail. He stated he thought of imposing an 18-year sentence — three years longer than the Crown’s proposal — however opted for restraint resulting from Berndt’s superior age.

Berndt later appealed his conviction and sentence, however did not persuade Court docket of Enchantment Justice Jack Watson to grant him bail pending a call within the case. Watson discovered Berndt’s case didn’t “clearly” cross the authorized take a look at of being “not frivolous” and was thus too weak to benefit launch.

Beresh declined to touch upon the choice to desert the attraction.

Juanita Falkingham, the eldest of the three siblings, stated she was “extremely relieved” to listen to Berndt had dropped his attraction.

“This entire factor was inflicting a number of stress … and I really feel so good understanding I gained’t have to fret about any of that down the highway,” she stated. “No trial, no extra testifying, simply an finish.”

jwakefield@postmedia.com

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