A Yellowknife woman shed tears of relief Monday after a Ndilo man received a nine and a half year sentence for forcibly confining and sexually assaulting her as well as sexually assaulting another woman back in 2017.
Peter Tsetta, 51, showed little reaction after being sentenced by Supreme Court Chief Justice Louise Charbonneau who convicted him of the crimes at a trial earlier this year.
One of his victims, Cynthia Grandjambe, had the publication ban on her name lifted earlier this fall.
She was in the courtroom for the emotionally-charged hearing.
“I am totally satisfied. I would’ve settled for eight, said a teary-eyed Grandjambe outside the courthouse after the sentencing hearing. “I’m proud of getting the nine and a half years. He’s sick in the head if he thinks he can rape me and still be friends with me.”
The judge pointed out during the hearing that Tsetta still hasn’t fully realized the gravity of his crimes and the harm they have caused after stating in a pre-sentence report that he hoped he could eventually be friends again with Grandjambe once he was released from prison.
Tsetta was convicted of holding his then-friend Grandjambe against her will at his Ndilo home and repeatedly sexually assaulting her over several hours in the summer of 2017.
He was out on bail for the exact same charges at the time.
Tsetta’s other victim, also a woman he had known for some time, has since passed away.
Her videotaped statement to police was used against him in court.
“Mr. Tsetta’s a very real danger to public safety.” Judge Charbonneau said about the repeat sexual offender Monday.
The irony of that statement is that when RCMP asked for the public’s help to find Tsetta after the first sexual offence they stated that he was of no threat to public safety.
They have repeatedly defended their actions stating that they had no evidence to indicate Tsetta was a risk to re-offend.
Following the sentencing hearing, CKLB once again offered Mounties one last chance to admit that was a mistake and to publicly apologize to Grandjambe.
We are waiting to hear back from them.
Grandjambe, who says she heard from Mounties that Tsetta wasn’t considered a risk before he attacked her, says she intends to file a complaint against the RCMP over their news release.
A brave Cynthia Grandjambe carries her late father’s rosary outside court in Yellowknife in October after she had a publication ban on her name lifted
(John McFadden/CKLB photo)
She is also still very upset that a Justice of the Peace granted Tsetta bail only to then have him re-offend.
During the hearing, Judge Charbonneau described sexual assaults in the Northwest Territories as an “epidemic.”
Tsetta’s lawyer, Edmonton-based Evan McIntyre, says his client expects to appeal both the conviction and sentence.
Tsetta’s name will now be placed on the Canadian Sexual Offender Registry.
Taking into account his pre-trial custody, Tsetta will have just under six years left to serve.
