An alleged victim of accused serial rapist Richard Mantha is sharing her story of a frantic escape and her journey to sobriety.
The former sex worker – whose identity is protected under a publication ban – tells CTV she felt she was going to die on a rural property east of Chestermere.In a quiet Calgary park, she has asked to be referred to as Avery.
A drug addict and sex-trade worker for 24 years, Avery is now more than nine months sober and out of the industry. Avery says she survived horrifying attacks of a man Calgary police charged in a series of kidnappings, druggings and rapes. But Avery says he initially introduced himself to her as Poncho."I was gonna go do a job and this person thought that they were going to take advantage of me obviously. And it turned out being just something vicious," she said.
"I didn't know where I was gonna go. And I know I screamed at the top of my lungs all the way. It was a scariest moment in my life," she said. But Avery says the life-threatening encounter was a wake-up call, so she got out. Fast forward to today, she has started a support group for other women addicted and in the trade but looking to escape.
"Even if it's not to me, there's other people that they can talk to. And there's officers out there that they literally are doing that job because they want to keep us safe," she said.Mantha is due in court next Friday for his bail hearing.
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