From 2022 to 2023, police noticed an increase from 16 reports to 29 reports of sexual assaults against minors at pools and recreation centres in Edmonton. While the number of reports received in 2024 is trending down, the increased number reported last year raises the need for public awareness.
“While it’s encouraging to know that reports are trending down this year and the overall number of reports remain low, there is never an acceptable number of sexual assault reports,” says Acting Insp. Jack Meikle with the EPS Serious Crimes Branch.
“With summer vacation underway, we know more children and their families will be attending pools and recreation centres, and we want to encourage them to gather and have fun. These facilities remain spaces to congregate, and with education and awareness we can all work together to prevent this type of victimization.”
Creating safe spaces
In addition to awareness, the EPS and its partners at the City of Edmonton (COE) and West Edmonton Mall (WEM) continue to work collaboratively to reduce the risk and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. This includes coordinated staff training on how to handle and report sexual assaults, as well as centre specific designs, policies and public communications that were developed specifically to increase safety for all patrons.
“At World Waterpark, we take great pride in our ongoing commitment to safety and security. As a trusted facility, we have always maintained stringent safety protocols, including a robust CCTV system, well-trained security personnel, and regularly updated staff training on incident handling and prevention,” says Lori Bethel, Vice President of Parks & Attractions at WEM.
"The City of Edmonton ensures everyone has access to and benefits from City recreational and cultural sites, services and resources. We create safe, enjoyable and respectful spaces for all Edmontonians and visitors to enjoy,” says Priya Bhasin-Singh, Director of Aquatics and Community Leisure Centres at the City of Edmonton.
“All our staff have comprehensive training to create safe environments for all. We have our Respect for People and Property Guidelines as strong measures and practices in place as protocol. We encourage all visitors to our sites to always report any observed, suspicious or experienced unsafe activity to City staff when at our facilities."
What is child sexual assault?
Child sexual assault is the improper exposure of a child/youth to any sexual contact, activity or behaviour. Swimming pools and recreation centres can be locations of risk for non-consensual touching, which usually takes place in areas such as wave pools, lazy rivers and change rooms where perpetrators feel it will be secluded or less noticeable.
“Sexual assault in this environment can be difficult to define,” says Staff Sgt. Jason Singh with the EPS Child Protection Section. “In the simplest terms, if a child or youth feels someone engaged with them or made contact with them in a non-consensual way, we encourage reporting it to centre staff. They are trained to handle these situations and will guide you through the reporting process.”
“Most importantly, we want to remind anyone who feels they have been victimized: it is not your fault. We are here to listen and help.”
Planning for prevention
Sexual assaults can take place anywhere. Below are some safety tips for citizens, caregivers and children/youth:
- Know your environment. Scan your environment for any areas that you think may pose a risk, in particular places that are secluded from public view. Ask the facility about steps they have taken to prevent these incidents and how to report an occurrence. Share this information with other caregivers/guardians.
- Supervise. Ensure children and youth are always supervised by a safe and trusted caregiver/guardian in and around pools, in recreation areas and in change rooms. Make sure this person is aware of the risks in these environments, the signs and behaviours that indicate a sexual assault may have occurred and the process for reporting an incident.
- Trust your gut. If you feel a situation is suspicious or unsafe, trust this feeling and take the necessary steps to ensure you and the child/youth in your care are out of harms way. Report any suspicious behaviour or activity to facility staff.
- Talk about it. Have an age-appropriate conversation with children/youth in your life about sexual assault and what that might look like at a pool or in a recreation centre. Explain what steps they can take if they feel they have been victimized and to whom they can safely report it.
- Learn and discuss. Learn the signs and behaviours that indicate a sexual assault or other form of child abuse took place and discuss this information with other caregivers/guardians. Reporting may be difficult for the person who was harmed. Awareness of the signs may help you intervene or engage a child/youth that was victimized and ensure they receive the support they need.
If you or someone you know believes you may have been sexually assaulted, you can contact the EPS at 780-423-4567, #377 from a mobile phone or report it online at
https://www.edmontonpolice.ca/ContactEPS/SAOnlineCrimeReport Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250