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Former Wet'suwet'en Chief Goes to Penticton Court over Ban From Territory

Stanley George Nikal, who once held an elected chief position and now serves as a Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chief, appeared in a Penticton courtroom in 2025 regarding a peace bond that prohibits him from living within 50 kilometers of Witset in Northern British Columbia.
The court case follows Nikal's 1995 conviction for sexually assaulting four young women aged 10 to 18 in Witset, and legal efforts since 2002 to restrict his proximity through Section 810.2 peace bonds due to fears of recidivism.
The trial, scheduled for six days with remaining sessions in June and July, involves testimony from probation officers and expected witnesses like an Indigenous Police Services officer and a Corrections Canada psychiatrist to assess Nikal's risk.
The Crown stated Nikal has refused to engage in risk assessment programs, hindering proper evaluation, while Nikal consistently denies the charges, claiming a political conspiracy fabricated the allegations to remove him from power.
The court order remains due to concerns about Nikal's medium recidivism risk and his Hereditary Chief status influencing potential community risk, with a band council resolution opposing his return cited in past appeals.

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