Sexual assault trial of former church youth group helper begins in Charlottetown | CBC News

A sexual assault trial began Tuesday in Charlottetown in front of a judge and jury.

Jan Vanderzwaag, who also goes by John, has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting two boys more than 20 years ago.

The identities of the alleged victims are protected by a publication ban.

On Tuesday, a member of the church where Vanderzwaag helped out with a youth group and relatives of the alleged victims took the stand. 

Much of the testimony focused on the night of a sleepover at Vanderzwaag’s home, when he is alleged to have sexually assaulted the two boys.

A person who was in the house that day testified she saw Vanderzwaag leaving the bedroom. She said when she spoke to the boys, they were upset and sobbing. 

Vanderzwaag’s lawyer questioned how confident she was with her memory of events.

Family says they lost friends

The family witnesses said they once considered Vanderzwaag a close friend — someone they met through church and often hung out with. They said Vanderzwaag helped out with a youth group at the Charlottetown Christian Reform Church.

Several of them said the church was like family to them, but that after they reported the incident, they received a letter from the church calling them liars and demanding they apologize to Vanderzwaag.

Witnesses also said the church said not to go to police, and that it would take care of it.

The alleged victims’ family said there were meetings with church elders, and that they lost all their friends associated with the church shortly after.

The trial, presided over by Justice John Mitchell before a jury of seven women and five men, is scheduled to continue for about 10 days.