Edmonton police looking for potential sexual assault victims
Posted July 27, 2023 12:22 pm.
Last Updated July 27, 2023 6:34 pm.
Edmonton police have charged a 60-year-old man in connection to two sexual assaults and believe there may be additional victims.
In January, officers began an investigation of sexual assaults against women experiencing homelessness after they received a report that “a man was approaching women in and around emergency shelters, bringing them back to and confining them in his residence and sexually assaulting them.”
Since the investigation began, officers were able to determine that two incidents took place. The first that they know of happened in July 2015, and the second took place in December 2022.
Police say the suspect was identified as 60-year-old Donald Burnett. It is believed Burnett was targeting vulnerable women and women experiencing homelessness and there may be additional complainants.
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) adds Burnett may have gone by Don or Donald Davidson. He is also known to drive a silver 2008 Dodge Caravan.
Police say warnings were issued to local emergency shelters prior to his arrest in May.
At the time, he was charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of forceable confinement.
He was released on July 19, with conditions. Police say with those conditions, Burnett is not allowed to attend Hope Mission, Bissell Centre, and the Christian Care Centre. In addition, he is not allowed any women in his home or vehicle, and he does have a curfew.
Police are canvasing shelters and surrounding areas in an effort to encourage women to come forward.
“We’ve heard from community members that Burnett often tells women not to come forward to police,” says S/Sgt. Harry Grewal with the EPS Sexual Assault Section. “We want to assure survivors that we are committed to investigating these assaults – we want to hear from you and provide support in any way we can.”
Police are asking anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Burnett, to contact the investigators at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
