B.C. store to pay $750K settlement in washroom voyeurism case
A B.C. food market will pay $750,000 to six women after a settlement regarding a former employee’s secret recordings in the store bathroom.Summary
Red Barn Market in British Columbia has reached a $750,000 settlement with six women following a class-action lawsuit stemming from a former employee, Matthew Schwabe, secretly recording them in the store’s washroom. Five plaintiffs will receive larger portions of the settlement as their images were distributed online, while one received a smaller amount as their images were only recorded. Court documents revealed a pattern of predatory behavior from Schwabe and other male employees, including inappropriate comments and a disturbing incident involving indecent exposure.
Following a police investigation and a guilty plea, Schwabe received a 15-month jail sentence and two years’ probation in 2022. The plaintiffs, Jennifer Madill and Mallory Fulmore, expressed satisfaction with the settlement, stating it achieves justice and accountability.
This case occurs amidst a 65% increase in police-involved voyeurism incidents in B.C. between 2014 and 2024, prompting the federal government to propose the Protecting Victims Act, which aims to increase penalties for non-consensual image distribution and sexual assault.
(Source：Peace Arch News)