Overview
- The RCMP laid a charge of assault with a weapon against Eva Bueckert, a supervisor at a Mennonite school, a development announced on Aug. 5 that opened an active criminal case with a court appearance set for Aug. 11.
- Police say a parent reported the incident on May 20 after finding bruising and red marks on a boy’s thigh and investigators later executed a search warrant that seized a machine belt described as the schools’ disciplinary “strap.”
- Investigators found the strap was referenced in a collective school constitution and said the practice was used at three La Crete–area schools: Blumenort, Wilson Prairie and Tompkins.
- RCMP noted the adults supervising students at the schools were not provincially accredited teachers and the schools are registered independent schools that remain subject to provincial oversight under Alberta’s Education Act.
- Authorities pointed to Supreme Court precedent that objects such as belts cannot be used for corporal punishment and the ministry review could lead to formal inspections or registration suspension if rules or criminal offences are confirmed.