Victoria company fires 2 real estate agents amid sex assault allegations on social media

CHEK

Warning: This story contains disturbing allegations of sexual assault.

Two Victoria real estate agents have been fired after a woman came forward on social media to say she was sexually assaulted by them.

The Agency, a company based on Yates Street in Victoria, released a statement saying it was “aware of the very serious social media allegations” toward two agents, whom CHEK News is not naming because no charges have been brought forward.

“We want to be perfectly clear; we are shocked and deeply disturbed by the accusations,” the company said.

The accusations were posted on an Instagram account titled “Survivor Stories Project,” which seeks to share anonymous reports of sexualized and domestic violence.

According to the post, both agents worked for another company at the time the assaults occurred.

“They are from an affluent circle in Victoria and use their connections and ‘popularity’ to assault women,” the post reads.

It alleges the men invited unassuming women, including the poster, to their real estate office at the time, pressuring them to do drugs and drink alcohol.

“I don’t do cocaine so I’m fairly certain that they must have drugged my wine because I got significantly drunk in a quicker amount of time than I normally would,” the anonymous poster writes. She said she blacked out a couple of times and came to when one of the men was trying to put his penis in her mouth, while the other was removing her pants.

The woman said she eventually got sick and was put into a cab. She said when she communicated with the pair the next day, “their responses were vulgar and insinuated that I knew what I was getting myself into or I wouldn’t have shown up. They made comments that I was a nobody in Victoria and no one would believe me.”

The Agency said it had terminated its relationship with the agents “effective immediately.”

“We stand in full support of women who have endured sexual abuse and we encourage anyone with information to come forward.”

The Local, a restaurant on Wharf Street, said it had learned one of the two men accused in the assault was a minority partner in the restaurant and it has since cut ties with the real estate agents.

“Our thoughts are first and foremost with the woman who has brought forward these allegations,” owner Jeremy Petzing said in a statement posted to Instagram. “Since learning about the accusation we have severed ties with the persons involved. They will not be welcome at the Local or Farmhouse.”

Since the first post was put up on the Instagram page, two more incidents have surfaced accusing one of the men of separate instances of sexual assault.

While Victoria police were aware of the posts, they said to their understanding, the author had not yet contacted them.

Police are asking anyone who wants to report sexualized violence to call their report desk at 250-995-7654 extension 1, or report and access supports through the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre at 250-383-3232 or www.vsac.ca.

The Agency’s full statement below:

Jeff Lawrence
Rebecca Lawrence

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