MCC Day 71 - Justice Organizations and How Wortman Took Advantage of DCS Clients

On the final day of hearings before the parties make closing submissions next week, the Mass Casualty Commission had a half day of proceedings featuring speakers from the BC Civil Liberties Association, the East Coast Prison Justice Society, and the NS Department of Justice. That was followed by a presentation by the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre on their findings from meetings held with marginalized individuals who knew Wortman from his denturist work. The justice organizations all had issues to discuss that were only marginally connected to the work of the MCC. This disconnect was partly reflected in the lack of moderation of the discussion. Speakers went on at great length, on tangential topics. There was some discussion of police oversight and police standards, including comment from the DOJ that police standards (which are currently 'under development') will be legally enforceable regulations when they are finalized. The revelations from the Avalon consultations showed how Wortman was able to obtain sexual favours from clients in exchange for denturist work, and how DCS really did not seem to provide much oversight for such private sector service providers.