Charges stayed against ‘Queen of Canada’ cult leader Romana Didulo in Saskatchewan
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SWIFT CURRENT – The leader of a cult that bedevilled residents of a Saskatchewan village for two years is no longer facing charges, disappointing and angering the mayor.
Romana Didulo, head of the so-called Kingdom of Canada, had been charged with two offences but a court official in Regina said they were stayed Tuesday by Crown prosecutors.
Didulo, who calls herself the “Queen of Canada,” was accused of failing to comply with an undertaking and intimidating a justice system participant.
In September, police raided the cult’s home in a decommissioned school in the village of Richmound, west of Regina. They obtained a search warrant on reports that someone had a firearm.
Officers took 16 people into custody and seized imitation weapons.
The building was later ordered closed for health reasons, as open sewage could be seen bubbling on the grounds.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority said Wednesday that orders issued last year to vacate the property and remedy deficiencies remain in effect.
“There are no further actions planned at this time,” it said in a statement.
Police eventually charged five people, including Didulo and Ricky Manz, the owner of the former school. Charges against the remaining accused have also been stayed, including one charge against Manz of intimidating a justice system participant.
Manz still faces several charges including assaulting a police officer, mischief and uttering threats and is scheduled to return to court in April.
Stayed charges can be reactivated within a year by the Crown.
In a statement, Saskatchewan’s Justice Ministry said Crown prosecutors concluded there was not a reasonable likelihood of conviction against Didulo based on the evidence gathered.
“Public Prosecutions knows the decision may be disappointing for many, but it is important to uphold the legal standards that govern prosecutions and rule of law,” it said Wednesday.
The decision is the latest move in the saga involving threats, intimidation and disruption for the roughly 120 residents of Richmound, located near the Alberta boundary.
Richmound Mayor Brad Miller has said that after Didulo and her group arrived, they became a nuisance.
Members barricaded the compound, set up security cameras and erected bright LED lights, some of which faced the main highway that runs through the community, Miller said.
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