Former teacher Johnny Meeko 'went from an angel to a devil,' says witness

Johnny Meeko's face turned from an "angel to a devil" before allegedly raping a 15-year-old student in the school's furnace room, an Iqaluit court heard Thursday in the ongoing trial of the former Nunavut teacher.

Meeko, 61, has pleaded not guilty to 32 sex-related charges spanning more than 30 years while he was a teacher at Nuiyak Elementary School in Sanikiluaq. 

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The final two complainants testified against Meeko Thursday in what was perhaps the most emotional day so far of the trial that began Monday.

The oldest of the complainants, a woman in her 50s, testified Meeko raped her three times in the school's furnace room when she was around 15 years old.

She said on the first occasion she was kept after school by the principal to complete an assignment. Meeko was left in the classroom to supervise her.

When she had completed her work and went to leave, she said Meeko blocked the exit. She told the court that's when "his face went from an angel to a devil."

"Having already experienced sexual abuse in a residential school I knew what was coming," she said.

The complainant said Meeko took her to the school's furnace room, removed her pants and raped her. She told the court the same thing happened there again on two other occasions.

'If you weren't fast enough, you were the victim'

On one of those occasions, she said Meeko was in a classroom with her and about "six or seven little girls" after school.

"I stayed so that those little girls could go out," she said.

"I knew he was going to pick one of those little girls and hurt them. I was the last one. He caught me. If you weren't fast enough, you were the victim."

She said she told the principal, but nothing happened.

"Our parents and elders will tell us it's our fault ... so you keep these things quiet," she said.

"If somebody had listened to me right away he wouldn't have done [things] to little girls." 

'God's right-hand man'

During cross examination, Meeko's lawyer asked her why she went to the police after Meeko was charged in 2012, some 40 years after the alleged incidents.

"Johnny's an important man in town; he's God's right-hand man," she said, adding he served as a church warden and member of the Junior Rangers. 

Also on Thursday, a man testified that when Meeko was his Grade 3 teacher would "squeeze" his nipples and touch his buttocks.

The man also said that once, during a detention after school, Meeko told him to close his eyes, then he removed his pants and touched his penis.

Nine complainants have alleged a range of sexual offences by the former teacher.

The Crown expects to play a recorded statement Meeko made to the police as the trial continues Friday.