Former regional chief Morley Googoo found not guilty of sexual assault

A former regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in his We'koqma'q, N.S., home. 

Morley Googoo was accused of assaulting the woman in March 2013 after she allegedly visited him to discuss a community project.

Googoo testified during a two-day trial in April, saying the 2013 meet up never happened because his busy schedule at the time didn't allow it.

On Friday, Googoo said he and his family are looking forward to putting the accusations behind them. 

"It's been a challenging time," Googoo said as he left a Sydney, N.S., courtroom. "You know, I'm glad the outcome was innocent. That's what we knew at the start. And that's what showed today."  

Receipts, photos submitted as evidence

A former chief of We'koqma'q First Nation in Cape Breton, Googoo relied on hotel invoices, travel documents and receipts, along with pictures and posts from social media to prove his whereabouts during the time in question.

Provincial court heard testimony from Googoo's son, ex-wife and a neighbour, who is also a relative of the family.

For the Crown's case, only the complainant was called as a witness. She testified that after arriving at Googoo's home, she began feeling dizzy and unwell after being given a soda. 

The next day, she felt extreme pain in her genitals but couldn't figure out why. In her testimony, the woman said she did not remember what happened until she started having flashbacks years later. 

Judge Shane Russell said the Crown did not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt and questioned the reliability of the woman's recollections. 

Russell also found Googoo's testimony to be "believable, reasonable and reliable," noting the 2013 documents entered as evidence helped corroborate Googoo's testimony and that of his family. 

Charges 'unfounded,' says Googoo's lawyer

"The sad part about these sorts of cases, of course, is that there's a stigma even in the allegation," said Googoo's defence lawyer, Chris Conohan, following the decision. 

"But I think that the evidence unfolded in a way that made it very clear that the charges were unfounded."

Tracy Sturmy, a lawyer for the Crown, said the judge's decision would be reviewed, although it was unclear whether an appeal would be filed. Sturmy said she had not yet spoken with the complainant regarding the decision.

Googoo, 53, resigned as chief of We'koqma'q in 2011 in order to serve as a leader of the Assembly of First Nations.

He was in the midst of his third consecutive term as a regional chief when harassment allegations against him began to surface.

Assembly investigated Googoo

An investigation launched by the organization in 2019 gathered evidence suggesting Googoo used his influence along with death threats and other forms of intimidation to keep women from contacting police with allegations of sexual assault against him.

Those allegations led to Googoo's suspension and subsequent removal as regional chief in October 2019, but they were never proven in court.

It's unclear if the complainant in Friday's decision was among the women who previously made accusations against Googoo.