The sexual assault trial of a former church youth group helper begins in Charlottetown

A sexual assault trial began Tuesday in Charlottetown before a judge and jury.

Jan Vanderzwaag, who also goes by John, has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting two boys more than 20 years ago.

The identities of the alleged victims are protected by a publication ban.

On Tuesday, a member of the church where Vanderzwaag helped with a youth group and relatives of the alleged victims took the stand.

Much of the testimony focused on the night Vanderzwaag was at a sleepover at home when he allegedly sexually abused the two boys.

A person who was in the house that day said they saw Vanderzwaag leave the bedroom. She said when she spoke to the boys, they were upset and crying.

Vanderzwaag is a former youth group worker at Charlottetown Christian Reform Church. (Laura Meader/CBC)

Vanderzwaag’s lawyer questioned how confident she was in her recollection of the events.

The family says they lost friends

The family’s witnesses said they once considered Vanderzwaag a close friend – someone they met through church and with whom they often spent time. They said Vanderzwaag helped a youth group at the Charlottetown Christian Reform Church.

Several of them said the church was like family to them, but after they reported the incident, they received a letter from the church calling them liars and asking them to apologize to Vanderzwaag.

Witnesses also said the church told them not to go to the police and deal with it.

The alleged victims’ family said there were meetings with church elders and that they lost all of their church-affiliated friends shortly afterward.

The trial, which Judge John Mitchell is presiding over before a jury of seven women and five men, is expected to last about 10 days.