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Cecil Wolfe, a 64-year-old Saskatchewan medicine man, will spend eight years in prison for sexually assaulting 12 women during his role as a traditional Indigenous healer.
Justice John Morrall delivered his sentence Wednesday at the Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench, and cries were heard throughout the gallery as the decision came down.
“Do not feel sorry for yourself, feel sorry for the victims of your crimes,” Morrall said to Wolfe. “Their lives have been changed forever.”
“Dedicate your life to ensuring that no one ever suffers in that way again.”
Crown prosecutors Maria Shupenia and Lana Morelli outside the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon following the sentencing of Cecil Wolfe. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)
In April 2022, police said there were several victims from the communities of Loon Lake, Blaine Lake, Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, Saskatoon and surrounding areas.
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Police said they believed Wolfe was working under the “pretext of being a traditional healer or medicine man when (the alleged victims) encountered him.”
Wolfe pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the women between 2013 and 2021.
JUST NOW: Self-proclaimed medicine man Cecil Wolfe has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting 12 women during his time practicing as a traditional Indigenous healer @CKOMNews @CJMENews
— Mia Holowaychuk (@miaholoway) April 23, 2025
The victims’ names are protected under a publication ban because the case involves sexual assault.
The Crown was seeking a sentence of 10 years and nine months, while the defence argued for four to five years.
“There is no sentence that will ever put these women or communities back in the position that they would have been in had they never met Mr. Wolfe,” said Crown prosecutor Lana Morelli outside of the courthouse.
“It is only (through) the dedication of the Saskatoon Police Service, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and victim services that these women were able to come forward and share their stories.”
Morelli said Wolfe’s crimes have left a tremendous impact on Saskatchewan’s First Nations community.
“It has struck at the heart of their culture and has created almost a tear in their fabric,” she said.
Wolfe’s defence lawyer Harvey Neufeld declined to comment outside the courthouse.
