Kim Werbecki

The voice you are hearing is Kim Werbecki's. It's 1994, and she's being interviewed by Hannah Gardner on the CBC TV show, Contact. At this time, she's a young woman, but the night she's describing, she was just a terrified teenager who decided to hitchhike a ride from a stranger.

The voice you are hearing is Kim Werbecki's. It's 1994, and she's being interviewed by Hannah Gardner on the CBC TV show, Contact. At this time, she's a young woman, but the night she's describing, she was just a terrified teenager who decided to hitchhike a ride from a stranger.

Kim says she was held at gunpoint and assaulted for more than 10 hours. When her assailant decided to get back on the road with her as passenger, she managed to escape at a gas station after pleading for help from the attendant. Days after the ordeal, she went to the RCMP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to report what had happened. From hundreds of photographs, Kim pointed out her attacker.

Kim says she was held at gunpoint and assaulted for more than 10 hours. When her assailant decided to get back on the road with her as passenger, she managed to escape at a gas station after pleading for help from the attendant. Days after the ordeal, she went to the RCMP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to report what had happened. From hundreds of photographs, Kim pointed out her attacker.

His name was Clifford Robert Olson. The police charged Olson with rape, buggery, and gross indecency, plus two counts of possession of a weapon.

His name was Clifford Robert Olson. The police charged Olson with rape, buggery, and gross indecency, plus two counts of possession of a weapon.

We know better now than to so freely call someone a child prostitute. There is no such thing as child prostitution. There is exploitation and sex trafficking. But even though Kim was just 16 when this happened to her, this was the 80s. And because she had been paid for sex prior to ever meeting Olson, she had doubts the justice system would take her seriously.

We know better now than to so freely call someone a child prostitute. There is no such thing as child prostitution. There is exploitation and sex trafficking. But even though Kim was just 16 when this happened to her, this was the 80s. And because she had been paid for sex prior to ever meeting Olson, she had doubts the justice system would take her seriously.

The so-called inconsistencies in her statement came down to whether or not Olson left her money after assaulting her. She had initially left out details about it happening in a motel room, but Kim had never wavered on the claim she'd been raped.

The so-called inconsistencies in her statement came down to whether or not Olson left her money after assaulting her. She had initially left out details about it happening in a motel room, but Kim had never wavered on the claim she'd been raped.

On April 8, 1981, Clifford Olson walked out of the courtroom on $5,000 bail. He faced no charges for his alleged abduction and rape of Kim Warbecki. The police hadn't known that before Kim first came to them, Olson had already killed one child. And in the four months following his release, Olson would go on to rape and murder at least 10 more young people.

On April 8, 1981, Clifford Olson walked out of the courtroom on $5,000 bail. He faced no charges for his alleged abduction and rape of Kim Warbecki. The police hadn't known that before Kim first came to them, Olson had already killed one child. And in the four months following his release, Olson would go on to rape and murder at least 10 more young people.

Kim Warbecki's name has stuck in my mind in the decades since. She endured Olson's violence and somehow managed to escape with her life. But she was ignored. It pains me to hear her blaming herself in this interview.

Kim Warbecki's name has stuck in my mind in the decades since. She endured Olson's violence and somehow managed to escape with her life. But she was ignored. It pains me to hear her blaming herself in this interview.

Of course, with hindsight, it's easy to point out all the occasions when tragedy could have been averted. No matter what he did or what he was accused of, Olson seemed to be gifted in slipping through the cracks.

Of course, with hindsight, it's easy to point out all the occasions when tragedy could have been averted. No matter what he did or what he was accused of, Olson seemed to be gifted in slipping through the cracks.

But in Clifford Olson's case, there were just so many missed chances for the local police and RCMP to stop his murders and get him off the street for good.

But in Clifford Olson's case, there were just so many missed chances for the local police and RCMP to stop his murders and get him off the street for good.

This is Calls from a Killer from CBC's Uncover. I'm Arlene Bynum. This is Episode 2, Something Monstrous.

This is Calls from a Killer from CBC's Uncover. I'm Arlene Bynum. This is Episode 2, Something Monstrous.