A deaf man who was never taught to communicate cannot be fairly tried in court over accusations of child sex offences because it would violate his rights, a Canadian court says.
Kendal Longclaws, 34, faced eight sexual offences after three complaints in 2021, but his inability to communicate spared him from trial and possible prosecution.
Longclaws, of the Ermineskin Cree Nation, south of Edmonton, grew up on an isolated farm. He was left unable to read, use a phone, understand a calendar or utter more than a few words.
When he was accused of sexual crimes, including sexual interference and sexual assault, he was unaware of what was happening, the National Post reported.
Two of his alleged victims were said to have been attacked between 2012 and 2016, with the third in 2021. Some of Longclaws’ alleged victims were children, according to the outlet.
Due to his inability to communicate and understand his charges, the courts in Alberta ruled that prosecution or even a mental fitness assessment would violate his charter rights.
In 2025, King’s Bench Justice Debra Yungwirth halted the only attempt to give Longclaws a trial before it began, stating that the case could not be legally handled.
Yungwirth noted several reasons, including Longclaws need for an interpreter – but as he couldn’t understand English, and spoke no actual language, it would be impossible to communicate to him and honor this Charter right, the Post reported.
Hellbound and Down 