Canada has stripped aid worker Peter Dalglish of one of the nation’s highest civilian honors after the former charity founder was convicted in Nepal of sexually assaulting two teenage boys.
Governor General Mary Simon announced on Friday that she had approved the termination of Dalglish’s membership in the Order of Canada, years after the once-celebrated humanitarian was sentenced to prison over the abuse case that shocked the international aid community.
Dalglish, who co-founded the children’s charity Street Kids International and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2016, was convicted in Nepal of raping two boys aged 11 and 14.
A Nepalese court sentenced the former aid worker to a combined 16 years behind bars after police raided his home and discovered the boys there during an investigation into allegations of abuse.
Authorities in Nepal said investigators had monitored Dalglish for weeks before pouncing after receiving information about suspected misconduct involving children.
A Nepalese law enforcement official previously accused Dalglish of targeting vulnerable boys from impoverished families by offering promises of education, jobs and travel opportunities before sexually abused them.
During his 2019 sentencing, the court also ordered Dalglish to pay roughly $9,100 in compensation to the victims.
It marked a dramatic downfall for a man who had spent decades cultivating a global reputation as a prominent advocate for vulnerable children.
Peter Dalglish, left, was stripped of his Order of Canada membership after being convicted in Nepal of sexually assaulting two boys. Dalgish is pictured with Justin Trudeau, Canada’s former prime minister, many years before his arrest. There is no suggestion that Trudeau was aware of any wrongdoing
Investigating officials had said Dalglish, left, lured children from poor families with promises of an education, jobs and trips, before sexually abusing them
The Order of Canada is the country’s second highest civilian honor, awarded to Canadians recognized for extraordinary achievement and service to the nation
Dalglish first rose to prominence through his work with street children and child laborers, co-founding Street Kids International in the 1980s before the organization later merged with Save the Children.
Over the years he also held senior positions with multiple international humanitarian agencies and United Nations-linked programs.
The case sparked outrage because of Dalglish’s long-standing image as a respected international humanitarian devoted to helping impoverished and vulnerable children.
Activists in Nepal said the conviction sent a major message in a country that has struggled with child exploitation cases and weak enforcement against sexual predators targeting poor families.
Nepal has faced mounting scrutiny in recent years over cases involving foreign predators accused of exploiting vulnerable children while operating under the cover of humanitarian or aid work.
Canadian aid worker Peter Dalglish, center wearing red cap, is brought to appear before the Kavre District Court in Nepal in July 2019
Dalglish was arrested at this home. Two boys, both minors, were also found at the home
Dalglish is not the only high-profile name to have been stripped of an honor.
Simon announced at the same time that she would also be stripping the same honor from SNC-Lavalin CEO Jaques Lamarre, who was disgraced in an entirely separate case.
The engineering executive was found guilty of corruption in relation to the company’s work in Libya.
He was found to have paid $2million to the Gadhafi family.
