(please watch video for full interview)
A 36-year-old former education assistant was found not guilty of sexual assault and sexual interference in a Oshawa court on Friday November 24, 2023.
But unlike the media attention when press release by Durham Regional Police was issued, there was no media to hear the verdict by Justice Peter Tetly.
Only Jansen, her husband Ken, close family and friends along with Crown attorney Agapi Mavirdis and Jensen’s lawyer Alan Richter.
When the press release was first issued, Jansen’s name was plastered everywhere. Radio, social media and television.
But on the forth floor, in the small courtroom 407, Justice Tetly stated, “the defendant shall be found not guilty.”
Then came the applause and tears from Jansen’s family.
But what about life after facing such a serious offence.
Jansen was charged on September 2022 with two very serious offenses for anyone. Worse if you’re a teacher or in Jansen’s position.
The charged stemmed from an allegation that occurred in 2018.
“Members of the Special Victims Unit started an investigation after a victim came forward,” stated the release.
No “alleged victim” in the press release, the word “victim” is clearly stated. Police went further to state investigators wanted to ensure there were no other “victims.”
The release stated that Jansen was an employee of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board from 2010 to 2021, but was no longer employed by the school board.
Jansen, her husband Ken and her lawyer Alan Richter sat in Richter’s office just across the street from the courthouse and spoke to Today’s Northumberland how they’ve tried to cope with the past 14-months dealing with the false charges have effected the Hamilton Township couples lives.
Richter said the charges were, “resoundingly dismissed in lacking credibility and reliability.”
Richter said cases like this happen, “too often.”
“I think frankly it’s happened a lot more since the Jian Ghomeshi.”
(Ghomeshi was charged in 2015 with sexual assault/sexual harassment. He pleaded not guilty and he was acquitted of the five charges and the Crown withdrew the last remaining charge)
“Policing, prosecution and courts generally have taken a very different view of sex assault cases and unfortunately there are individuals like this student who weaponize the criminal code and bring these types of false allegations.”
Richter had strong words for how the case was investigated, Jansen’s former employer, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and even her former union, CUPE.
“It should be a warning to anybody who works in any field of education. It was a false allegation made by a student alleging an incident occurred back in 2018.”
The allegation was that Jansen had sexual intercourse with a student on the last day of school in a classroom.
“The allegations themselves – I think any reasonable person would find extremely difficult to believe.”
Richter said on the single statement to Durham Regional Police officer Amanda Rabishaw, Jansen was arrested and charged.
Prior to that, the student made a call to police and a interview that was done by a introductory sex assault officer.
But Richter said both the phone call and the introductory report were, “inconsistent and contradicted some pretty important details that Detective Rabishaw picked up in her interview.”
Months later when Rabishaw spoke to the student about the contradictions she didn’t challenge the student.
“(Rabishaw) simply allowed the student to say, “I didn’t say those previous things.”
Though it was documented the student did in previous statements.
Richter says the investigation by Rabishaw was “woefully inadequate” but goes so far to say the way sexual assault investigations are investigated needs to be updated.
Richter said in a previous sexual assault case done by Rabishaw, her investigation was “equally inadequate and poorly done.”
“In that case the Crown Attorney asked the charges be withdrawn.”
“It’s a institutional problem.”
“Ashley is a survivor of false allegations of sex assault.”
For 14-months since being charged, Richter said Jansen has suffered, “immeasurable trauma over the last 14-months that she never should have had to face.”
Richter says bluntly and warns people that work in school boards need to be cautious.
“The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board didn’t assist at all with Ashley.”
Richter said Jansen was a victim of assault in 2018 by the same student alleging the sexual assault.
“And yet, Ashley got assigned to work with the student that year.”
‘In the course of dealing with that student, Ashley and others were assaulted numerous times.”
When Jansen was charged, Richter said school board “abandoned Ashley and did nothing to support her.”
“They backed the student and they actively went out to assist making Ashley’s live a living hell.”
Before Jansen was even arrested, Durham Children’s Aid Society worker Tyler Corvers came to her house and told the couple that Jansen wasn’t to be around their five children alone.
“She had to leave the house effectively – at that point they would have only had information from Durham Regional Police.”
“With that information, they went and actively disrupted this family.”
Speaking with the media for the first time since she was charged Jansen said, “it’s been devastation in every aspect of my life.”
“My family was ripped apart. Everything that you can think of that puts a family together was taken apart – it’s been a year of hell.”
Jansen now has to learn with the stigma attached.
“My name will always be found on some internet site somewhere attached to this awful, disgusting, heinous charge. And I don’t know how I’ll ever outlive that.”
In her time as a Educational Assistant, Jansen was punched, spat on, kicked, “to make a pay cheque so you can pay your bills and support your family.”
At the time of the allegation she was a full-time employee with the school board and member of CUPE.
“I felt at the time completely dismissed.”
Other than close family and friends, Jansen said she felt “judged” everywhere she went.
“Something so awful.”
Richter said at the time of the charges in 2022, CUPE was striking and asking for better protection for their members.
“All the while, Ashley was discarded.”
“Members of CUPE took the position that there must be something to the charge, police wouldn’t charge her on a single statement – there must be more.”
But there wasn’t “more.”
“And Ashley was abandoned.”
The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board instructed their employees not to talk about the investigation Richter said. And if someone did come to them to speak about it, that person was to contact the Board first.
“That impacted the potential of witnesses coming forward on Ashley’s behalf.”
Summing up the past 14-months Jansen said she’s tried to protect herself and her family from the verbal abuse they would all face at times. Whether her children were in school, or she and her family were in the community.
“We’ve gone through everything you could possibly go through. How do you come back from it?”
Richter sums it up by saying “survivors of false allegations are everywhere.”
“My experience with them, they are quite eager to have something done, up until the point they get acquitted and then they are just thankful that it’s over with. And they go back to try and rebuild their lives, just like Ashley did. There is a lot of survivors of false allegations out there. There voices are quiet, because they are singular.”
“I frankly would love to see a grouping of those voices – a real concerted effort being made to put those false allegations together, to put those survivors of this traumatic experience together.
People need to take a minute and think what it would be like if somebody falsely accused you of committing a horrendous sexual assault.”
“How would your life be?”
“Because whatever you think it’s going to be – it’s not as bad as it really, really is. And it needs to stop.”
“Real victims of sex assault need to be addressed, needs to be assisted, prosecution, investigations needs to be done and wrongdoers need to be brought to justice, but we can’t do it at the expense of the innocent.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
