Formerly a detective with the Ottawa Police Service sexual assault and child abuse (SACA) unit, Helen Grus is now a detective with the robbery unit. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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She told hearing officer Chris Renwick that she would keep him in her prayers and “will continue to serve Ottawa and the entire community to the best of my ability, God so help me each and every day,” as a throng of her supporters broke into applause at the conclusion of the hearing.

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With limited seating inside the public gallery at the Ottawa Police Service station on Huntmar Drive on Aug. 18, a larger crowd of supporters gathered outside, holding placards and leading prayer circles for the 23-year veteran police officer.

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Formerly a detective with the sexual assault and child abuse (SACA) unit, Grus was accused of accessing confidential records of nine child or infant death cases in which she had no investigative role or responsibility while failing to record her involvement.

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Grus was also accused of contacting the father of a deceased baby to inquire about the COVID-19 vaccination status of the child’s mother. By Grus’ own testimony, she asked the father if his wife had received a vaccine “because medical professionals were looking into possible adverse events.”

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Grus was charged with discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act and was suspended on Feb. 4, 2022.

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She was found guilty of one count of discreditable conduct in March 2025 after Renwick found that Grus “applied her own personal views on the risks and dangers of vaccination policy, formed by her self-initiated research and her strong opposition to her employer’s decision to implement a mandatory vaccination policy.”

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Disciplinary hearings were held intermittently between Aug. 8, 2022, and Jan. 9, 2025. Her lawyer, Bath-Shéba van den Berg, filed an appeal in April 2025.

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Prosecutor Jessica Barrow had called for a two-year demotion, while the defence argued that Grus had already been punished enough and that no further penalty was warranted.

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Her lawyer said Grus, now a detective with the robbery unit, was an “incredibly valuable asset to the Ottawa Police Service.”

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Renwick also pointed to her “exemplary” service record and “impressive” career as an investigator as he read from a 39-page decision outlining his reasons for the demotion.

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The misconduct was serious, Renwick said, generated intense public interest and damaged the reputation of the police service.

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“The public expects police officers to be professional and unbiased in their police work, and not to misuse highly personal and confidential information contained within the record management system, but rather to safeguard that information,” Renwick said.

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Any deviation from that standard should be “firmly addressed to re-instill the public’s confidence,” he said.