A woman raped by alleged child killer Garry Taylor Handlen has come forward in the hopes of inspiring other sexual assault victims to speak out.
“Karen,” whose real identity is protected by law, was attacked by Handlen in Manning Park in 1978. She managed to escape and fled naked through the forest.
Those terrible memories were triggered again this week after Mounties released Handlen’s photo, announcing he’s been charged in the murders of Kathryn-Mary Herbert and Monica Jack.
“As soon as I set eyes on it my heart started pounding,” Karen said in an exclusive interview with CTV News at Six anchor Tamara Taggart
“That face. That is with you for the rest of your life until your last breath, you never forget that.”
Handlen is accused of killing 11-year-old Herbert in 1975 and 12-year-old Jack in 1978. The photo RCMP shared was taken in the same decade, and Mounties are asking any women who may remember Handlen to contact them.
For Karen, coming forward was difficult, but ultimately liberating.
“It was not easy for sure, but I swear to you there’s something satisfying in the end. It’s almost like I can breathe now,” she said.
Louisa Russell from Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter wants victims to know it’s never too late to speak out.
“No one woman should be alone with this experience,” Russell said. “We encourage you to tell – tell someone you trust, tell an independent women’s group – and to not continue to suffer in silence on your own.”
Handlen was sentenced to 18 years in prison for attacking Karen. He once wrote her a letter asking for forgiveness, but she waited until this week to respond.
“If you are sincere in wanting my forgiveness, now is the time to prove it, because words and saying I’m sorry is not good enough,” she said.
In the meantime, Karen said she’s bracing to see her attacker’s face on the news again when he stands trial for murder.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Tamara Taggart
