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Former violin teacher convicted of multiple sexual assault-related charges released on parole

A former violin teacher who sexually assaulted his female students over a 20-year period has been released on parole after serving just one-third of his sentence.

Back in March, a Chatham, Ont. court sentenced Trachy to eight months in jail, following testimony from multiple students who said the former teacher had touched their breasts, had them remove their blouses and bras and played with their exposed chests.

In some instances, the former students testified plastic moulds had been taken of their breasts.

Trachy had been convicted of 51 sex-related charges and was sentenced on 28 of them.

"Serving approximately 85 days — that's roughly about three days for each sexual assault charge", said one victim whose can not be identified due to a court-ordered publication ban. "When you hear it and break the numbers down, the time served is insufficient."

"Three days in prison for a sexual assault charge? We're not talking about stealing gum from a candy store ... This happened over months and years to some of us."

Amy Dodge/CBC
Amy Dodge/CBC

The parole hearing took place May 13th. According to the victim, the parole board informed the rest of the victims who joined the hearing via speakerphone that they would receive a report outlining the reasoning behind the decision and its conditions — but that has yet to happen.

"We thought that would happen before his release. And obviously, that's not happened yet. It was a goodbye. The parole board hearing was over and we all hung up."

Three days in prison for a sexual assault charge? We're not talking about stealing gum from a candy store ... This happened over months and years to some of us. - Victim of Claude Trachy

She added that her main concern is possibly running into Trachy in public.

"I am anxious because I would like to have something in writing. Should I run into him at the grocery store as has been done before, I always had my sheet of paper with the conditions from the trial on me so that if I needed to phone the police, I had proof," she said.

"Right now, I'm sitting here with nothing."

Ken Marley, Trachy's former defence lawyer who represented him at trial, said he agreed with the parole board's decision considering the judge had not deemed Trachy as a risk to society.

"It was my position ... jail term was not necessary in the unique circumstances of this case," said Marley, adding he's grateful to the parole board for ordering him to be released "as soon as was possible."

"He corrected his behaviours and changed his way of teaching. He changed his way of dealing with people more than 30 years ago. He is a person who was being punished for a crime which happened decades ago."