Wilbur Dedam's trial on sex charges hears from 2nd alleged victim

The sex abuse trial of Wilbur Dedamheard from the second alleged victim on Thursday, who described being raped by him in his van when she was a teenager and passed outdrunk.

Dedam, 62,theformer chief ofEsgenopetitjFirst Nation, is on trial in Miramichifor six sex-related charges involving three alleged victims between1977 and1985.

The woman, who is now 49 years old, testified she lived near Dedamas a girland knew him as a family friend.

When she was 13, they became closer, she said.

"He was molesting me, that's what I call it," she told the Court of Queen's Bench. "I used to say 'bother,'but that's not what it was. That was rape," said the woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban.

• 'I was always in fear': Trial of ex-Esgenopetitj chief hears from alleged sex abuse victim

She said the abuse started withDedamcommenting on her body when she was in a bathing suit, caressing her and asking if she had pubic hair yet.

One day, she went to a store to buy bread and on her way back sawDedamdriving aStarcraftvan with his wife and several other peopledrinking andpartying inside, she said. They invited her to join them and they "drank and drank," she said.

Thenext thing she remembered, she said, was waking up in the vanwith her pants down, shirt up andDedamon top of her.

She realized he was having sex with her and asked him to stop, she said through tears asDedamlooked on from the front of the courtroom,shakinghis head.

The woman testified she later confrontedDedamabout the incident during a party at her home and he told her, "Yes, I did, and you liked it."

On Wednesday, the court heard from a relative of one of the alleged victims, whotestified the young girl phoned her and confided she was being molested.

The woman, who is in her 70s, became emotional when she confirmed during cross-examination by defence lawyer T.J. Burke that she never reported the alleged abuse to police at the time.

She wondered aloudwhether shemay have failed the alleged victim.

The first time she spoke to police about the issue was in March 2014, about 30 years after the girl came to her, the Court of Queen's Bench heard.

She did call theEsgenopetitjFirst Nation band office to inquire about taking care of the girl, she said, butwas told to stop calling or "you'll be sorry." She felt threatened, she said.

The charges against Dedam include sexual assault and having sex with a female under 15 years of age.

Histrial started on Monday with jury selection.

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