Retired teacher convicted of historical sexual assaults apologizes to victims
Disclaimer: Details in this article may be triggering for some readers.
Lawrence Fritz appeared in a Newmarket courtroom more than two months after pleading guilty to five counts of inappropriately touching students in the 1970s, 80s and 90s while teaching at schools across York Region.
One woman addressed Fritz while giving her victim impact statement, asking, "Why me? Why did I deserve this?"
His victims described decades of trauma, depression, feeling shame and guilt and struggling to understand why their teacher would prey upon them.
The 75-year-old, whom police in York Region said was last working as a supply teacher until retiring in 2020, was charged two years ago.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The court heard the disturbing pattern of behaviour began in 1977.
The Crown read the Agreed Statement of Facts describing several assaults over the next few years.
Fritz, while teaching kids in grades three and four, invited female students to his desk at the back of the classroom and proceeded to touch their backsides, rub their backs under their clothes and place his hand between one girl's legs.
The court heard the assaults happened several times throughout the school year.
York police launched the investigation in 2021 after three female victims reported sexual offences, and one male victim reported a physical assault.
The court heard the assaults involved girls who were eight and nine years old in Nobleton and Thornhill between 1977 and 1983 and a boy who was in the sixth grade in Richmond Hill in the early '90s.
Fritz was arrested in early 2022 and charged with three counts of gross indecency, three counts of indecent assault, forcible confinement and assault with intent.
At the time Fritz was charged, investigators believed there may have been more victims and encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
In January, Justice Cary Boswell accepted Fritz's guilty plea to three counts of indecent assault, one count of gross indecency and the assault of the young boy in the early 90s when the court heard Fritz angrily shove the child into a wall of a washroom; knocking the student to the ground.
On Friday, Fritz addressed the court, apologizing to his victims, saying, "I want to acknowledge the extraordinary courage of my former students."
"I am totally ashamed of what I did," he said. "I accept full responsibility."
The defence requested Fritz receive a conditional sentence, including house arrest and sexual offender counselling, and orders not to be allowed around children under 16.
The Crown is seeking four years in jail, arguing Fritz abused his position and trust as a teacher of young, vulnerable children.
Sentencing is scheduled for June.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when provincial fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least one debt expert.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.
A 98-year-old in Ukraine walked miles to safety from Russians, with slippers and a cane
A 98-year-old woman in Ukraine who escaped Russian-occupied territory by walking almost 10 kilometres (six miles) alone, wearing a pair of slippers and supported by a cane has been reunited with her family days after they were separated while fleeing to safety.
Will an 'out of sight, out of mind' cellphone policy make a difference in Ontario schools?
Ontario’s cellphone ban in schools has been met with mixed reaction, with some teachers concerned about constant policing of kids and experts applauding the change as necessary for student learning.
A Utah couple accidentally shipped their cat with an Amazon return. A week -- and 3 'miracles' -- later, they were on a plane to meet a stranger
The Amazon returns employee wasn't at work the day one of her colleagues at a California warehouse found a small, furry stowaway in a box mailed six days earlier from Utah. But Brandy Hunter got the call anyway.
Dueling protesters clash at UCLA hours after police clear pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia
Dueling groups of protesters clashed Wednesday at the University of California, Los Angeles, grappling in fistfights and shoving, kicking and using sticks to beat one another. Hours earlier, police burst into a building at Columbia University that pro-Palestinian protesters took over and broke up a demonstration that had paralyzed the school while inspiring others.
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Avalanche eliminate Winnipeg Jets from playoffs with 6-3 road win
Mikko Rantanen's first two goals of the playoffs propelled the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday that clinched their opening-round playoff series in five games.