Serial rapist Sofyan Boalag sues after being stabbed in N.B. prison, left unable to walk
Lawsuit alleges institution ignored protocols, let inmates out of cells unsupervised
A man who terrorized women in St. John's in 2012 is now suing the federal government, saying he'll never walk again after being stabbed at a prison in Renous, N.B.
Sofyan Boalag's statement of claim says he was incarcerated at the Atlantic Institution on Feb. 3, 2023, when prison staff opened the doors to all cells in one corridor simultaneously so inmates could line up for medication.
Boalag says he was attacked from behind and stabbed repeatedly.
"The plaintiff says that his injuries were catastrophic in nature, rendering him unable to walk for the rest of his life," reads the statement of claim, filed in Federal Court on Jan. 20.
Boalag was convicted of raping two women and a 15-year-old girl in Newfoundland during the summer and fall of 2012.
There were six complainants in total, with women describing how he choked them unconscious and threatened them with a knife on city streets in the early hours of the morning.
His spree led to widespread fear in the downtown core and a police warning prior to his arrest in December 2012.
Boalag was convicted in 2016, and declared a dangerous offender by the courts — resulting in an indeterminate prison sentence.
"I am not satisfied that there is a reasonable expectation that the public can be adequately protected from Mr. Boalag by a measure less than an indeterminate sentence," Judge Pamela Goulding said in her decision.
Boalag appealed that decision all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, which rejected his request in 2021.
Prison staff failed on multiple levels, lawsuit alleges
According to the lawsuit, filed by Halifax-area lawyer Laura Neilan on behalf of Boalag, the inmates were released from their cells that day to line up for medication.
Boalag says he was approached from behind, and didn't see the attack coming. He says correctional officers failed to intervene in a timely fashion, leaving him vulnerable to multiple stabs from a "sharp weapon."
The lawsuit says the attacker was a man with "pre-indicators of violence" toward Boalag.
It alleges prison staff failed to prevent weapons from entering the facility, failed to search inmates before allowing them to line up, and ignored internal policy by letting multiple inmates out of their cells at the same time.
The lawsuit also says the prison failed to ensure "appropriate staffing levels and trained personnel" were in place, and failed to "properly classify and house dangerous or incompatible inmates."
The federal government has yet to file a statement of defence.
In a statement to CBC News on Friday, a spokesperson for Correctional Service Canada said they are aware of a case involving Boalag, but said the agency cannot comment while it's before the courts.
"CSC employees are trained and are expected to carry out their duties with professionalism, in full compliance with our policies, procedures – and of course, the law," the spokesperson wrote. "CSC does not tolerate any breach of these standards, and all allegations are thoroughly investigated, regardless of the source."
According to the lawsuit, Boalag is currently housed at a correctional facility in Ontario.
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