Goler Clan
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The Golers are a
clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...
of poor, rural families in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, on
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
's South Mountain, near
Wolfville Wolfville is a Canadian town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. The town is home to Acadia University and Landmark East School. The town is a tourist destination d ...
, known for inter-generational poverty and the conviction in the 1980s of many family members for
sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...
and
incest Incest ( ) is sexual intercourse, sex between kinship, close relatives, for example a brother, sister, or parent. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by lineag ...
.


Background

The Goler family lived together in two shacks in a remote wooded area on South Mountain, located south of the community of White Rock, outside the town of
Wolfville Wolfville is a Canadian town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. The town is home to Acadia University and Landmark East School. The town is a tourist destination d ...
. Their ancestors occupied the area since at least the mid-1800s and, according to a sociologist at
Acadia University Acadia University is a public, predominantly Undergraduate education, undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, with some Postgraduate education, graduate programs at the master's level and one at the Doctorate, doctor ...
, showed incest in the family dating back to the 1860s. Charles and Stella Goler, the patriarch and matriarch of the family, lived together with their five sons and grandchildren in a dilapidated shack. Like most other mountain clans, they were isolated from most of the residents of the farming district in the
Annapolis Valley The Annapolis Valley is a valley and region in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a Trough (geology), trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the B ...
and most of the nearby towns. The adults of the family, some of whom had intellectual disabilities, had little schooling and rarely worked. One sibling, Cecil (1939–1991), was non-verbal and born paralyzed from the neck down. The Golers supported themselves on a combination of social welfare and occasional labor at the many nearby farms, supplemented by fishing and foraging for berries and other fruits. The children performed chores, such as preparing food, or removing trash. From about 1980, several of the children had attempted to tell outsiders and authorities about the abuse they suffered, but they were disbelieved and returned to their family, who punished them. In 1984, one of the children, a 14-year-old girl, revealed the details of a long history of torture and abuse (physical, sexual, and psychological) to a school official. As the case was investigated, authorities learned that a number of Goler children were victims of sexual abuse at the hands of fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers, cousins, and one another. During interrogation by police, several of the adults openly admitted to, and even boasted about, engaging in many forms of sexual activity, up to and including full intercourse, with the children many times. They often went into graphic detail, claiming that the children themselves had initiated the activity.


Trial and aftermath

Eventually, fifteen men and one woman were charged with hundreds of allegations of incest and sexual abuse of children as young as five. Given the detailed confessions by the accused, authorities did not anticipate a trial. However, the accused eventually recanted their confessions and denied any wrongdoing. The case garnered significant attention in the media. The legal system of
Kings County Kings County or King's County may refer to: Places Canada *Kings County, New Brunswick *Kings County, Nova Scotia * Kings County, Prince Edward Island ** King's County (electoral district), abolished in 1892 Ireland * County Offaly, formerly call ...
was strained by the Goler case. There was only one full-time prosecutor, who normally handled one or two rape cases per year alongside a relatively small number of assaults, thefts, disorderly conduct, and other crimes. Thirteen of the accused received jail sentences of one to seven years, with William Dennis Goler receiving seven years imprisonment and his nephew, William James Goler, receiving 4.5 years. The event brought to greater attention the inadequate living conditions of many poorer Kings County residents, not only on North Mountain and South Mountain where some 4,000 poor people lived, but in the rich farmlands around
Kentville Kentville is an incorporated town in Nova Scotia. It is the most populous town in the Annapolis Valley. As of 2021, the town's population was 6,630. Its census agglomeration is 26,929. History Kentville owes its location to the Cornwallis Ri ...
where
tar paper Tar paper, roofing paper, felt paper, underlayment, or roofing tar paper is a heavy-duty paper used in construction. Tar paper is made by impregnating paper with tar, producing a waterproof material useful for roof construction. Tar paper is ...
shack A shack (or, in some areas, shanty) is a type of small shelter or dwelling, often primitive or rudimentary in design and construction. Unlike huts, shacks are constructed by hand using available materials; however, whereas huts are usually r ...
s blighted the landscape. These communities had been shunned by society, forcing them to look inward for support. Authorities had largely ignored them for a century or more, despite documents dating to the 1860s that showed the prevalence of intrafamilial relationships through high rates of
birth defects A birth defect is an abnormal condition that is present at birth, regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can range from mild to severe. Birth de ...
and
intellectual disabilities Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability (in the United Kingdom), and formerly mental retardation (in the United States), Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010).Archive is a generalized neurodevelopmental ...
, although the county's low-income housing society had been working to build 565-square-foot 'hearth homes'. Due to the sensational nature of the crimes, the trial received extensive national coverage. A book entitled ''On South Mountain: The Dark Secrets of the Goler Clan'' was written and published in 1998, covering their story in detail. Donna Goler, one of the abused children who was removed from the Goler household when she was 11, has become an outspoken activist for stricter child abuse laws and stronger protection of children from convicted child molesters. Donna's testimony was described by both the prosecutor and defense attorneys as the most important evidence presented at trial. A year after the book ''On South Mountain'' was published, she began a long fight to revise the Criminal Code, saying that it failed to protect the young relatives of convicted child molesters."Canada House of Commons Debates", Volume 135, Number 124, 1st Session, 36th Parliament. September 23, 1998


See also

* Colt clan incest case * Moe incest case


References

{{Incest Incest Kings County, Nova Scotia Annapolis Valley Child sexual abuse in Canada People convicted of incest