A Morning Run

Summary

Podcast Summary: "A Morning Run" – The Knife: A True Crime Podcast

Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "A Morning Run" of The Knife: A True Crime Podcast, hosts Hannah Smith and Pasha Eaton delve into the harrowing true story of Darun Henry, a personal trainer, influencer, and mother of two from Toronto, Canada. Released on March 27, 2025, this episode unravels the traumatic experience Darun endured during a seemingly ordinary jog in a local park, exploring the profound impact of crime on her life and the broader community.

Background of Darun Henry

Darun Henry's past is marked by resilience and overcoming adversity. Born in Iraq as a Kurdish refugee, Darun faced significant hardships early in life. She recounts, “I lost my brother. My brother was killed by a landmine when I was five, so I was a refugee until we came to Canada at the age of seven or eight” (03:10). Despite a challenging upbringing, Darun transformed her struggles into strengths, becoming an online fitness coach and dedicated mother. Her journey of personal development led her to empower other women, emphasizing that “regardless of what you've been through, that you can become the best version of yourself” (03:10).

The Day of the Assault

September 15, 2021, was a day like no other for Darun. Having recently moved to a new home in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto, she began her routine jog at Massey Park around 9:50 AM. On this day, Darun was not only exercising but also creating content for her social media followers, setting up her tripod and jump rope to capture engaging fitness posts (05:08).

The Assault Incident

As Darun approached the end of her workout around 11:00 AM, she noticed an elderly man accompanied by a suspicious individual dressed entirely in black—wearing sweatpants, a hoodie, and a mask—a rare sight given the warm September weather. Darun observed, “[he] was walking very slowly behind the elderly man... it was pretty warm day... unusual to see somebody dressed... fully covered and also, like, wearing a Covid mask” (06:02).

While stretching, Darun felt a sudden pain in her hamstrings, prompting her to bend over. It was in that split second she saw the attacker through her legs, prompting her to react instantaneously. “I wasn’t scared, though. I just thought he was on a walk... I just caught him before he got too close” (08:20). The attacker’s behavior grew increasingly unsettling as he inquired about her YouTube presence and attempted to gather her personal information. Sensing impending danger, Darun realized he intended to attack her, leading her to go into immediate fight mode.

“I felt that realization, like, that moment where you're like, I'm in danger... so I have to fight” (11:47). Summoning the training from her boxing lessons, Darun delivered a punch to the attacker’s jaw, followed by additional defensive moves, including a kick to his ribs. Her quick thinking and preparedness were pivotal in thwarting the assault. “[he] was going to try and rape me... I punched him in his jaw” (12:19).

Immediate Aftermath

Darun’s decisive actions not only incapacitated her attacker but also triggered her in-the-moment survival instincts. As she screamed for help, the assailant fled the scene, leaving Darun to confront the immediate physical and emotional aftermath. “I had somebody there, like, I was able to just kind of, like, break out of that shell” (18:25). Overwhelmed by shock and fear, Darun experienced intense physical reactions, including vomiting, as she grappled with the trauma of the attack.

Viral Video and Public Reaction

Determined to seek justice and protect others, Darun recorded her attacker’s escape by capturing video evidence of him fleeing into the woods. Frustrated by the police's disinterest in her evidence, she took matters into her own hands by posting the video online. The upload quickly went viral, amassing hundreds of thousands of views within days. Darun expressed her disappointment and anger: “I was so disappointed and so shocked when the police were like, no, like, we can't do anything with that” (20:04).

The viral video brought mixed reactions. While Darun faced victim-blaming and misinformation, she also received overwhelming global support, highlighting the polarized nature of public response to such incidents.

Subsequent Attacks and Identification of Attacker

Tragically, Darun’s case was not isolated. Six days after her attack, another woman was assaulted under similar circumstances in a nearby park, this time with the attacker escalating to using a knife. Through Darun’s persistent efforts and the viral exposure of her own attack, law enforcement was able to identify and charge Paul Youssef, a 19-year-old from Brampton, for both assaults. “[He] was trying to get information... now, He’s free now, and I had no idea” (39:38).

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Despite the identification and charging of Paul Youssef, the legal outcome was disheartening for Darun. In May 2024, Youssef was sentenced to four months of conditional sentence, house arrest, and two years probation—sentencing that Darun found profoundly insufficient given the severity of his crimes. “[He] got four months of house arrest... he also lives in our neighborhood” (39:38). The lack of substantial punishment left Darun feeling that the justice system failed her and her community.

Reflections and Ongoing Trauma

The assault and its aftermath left deep psychological scars on Darun. She describes experiencing intense PTSD, including constant fear and anxiety, even in safe environments. “I went through a lot of the after effects... I kept thinking, like, what if he had just knocked me out before I had turned around?” (28:02). Darun’s trauma was compounded by her previous experiences with abuse, highlighting the persistent impact of such violent encounters on a victim’s mental health.

Connection to Past Trauma

Darun’s story is further complicated by her history of being groomed by a trusted authority figure during her childhood. At age eleven, she was manipulated by her drama teacher, Greg Telenko, leading her to confront and report his inappropriate behavior years later. “This is also not my first predator... I just moved on and I forgot about it” (33:19). The re-emergence of these traumatic memories during her assault underscores the long-term effects of abuse and the challenges victims face in seeking justice and healing.

Victim Advocacy and Legal Rights

A critical revelation in Darun’s story pertains to her lack of awareness about her rights as a crime victim in Canada. Despite the existence of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, Darun was not adequately informed or supported by law enforcement. Hosts Hannah Smith and Pasha Eaton reached out to the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (CRCVC) to uncover that Darun had rights to information, protection, and participation that were never exercised. “It's unfortunate, but it sounds like that you do have to be like, okay, keep asking... you just have to ask a ton of questions” (47:37). This gap in victim support highlights systemic issues within the Canadian legal framework regarding victim advocacy.

Closing Thoughts

Darun Henry’s story is a poignant testament to the enduring impact of violent crime on individuals and communities. Her courage in speaking out, despite facing both physical assault and systemic negligence, serves as both an inspiration and a call to action for better support systems for victims. As Darun emphasizes, “you have a voice... you can also punch a man in the face and survive” (41:05), her narrative underscores the resilience of survivors and the urgent need for comprehensive victim advocacy.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Darun Henry on Overcoming Adversity:
  “[I] wanted to help women, like, discover that part of themselves, regardless of what you've been through, that you can become the best version of yourself.” (03:10)

• Darun on Sensing Danger:
  “I realized, oh, my God, he's going to try and rape me.” (11:38)

• Darun on Reacting Instinctively:
  “I just reacted and I punched him.” (12:19)

• Darun on the Aftermath:
  “I didn't sleep for maybe two weeks. I just couldn't.” (28:02)

• Darun on Legal Frustrations:
  “What am I, a caged up animal? I can't even go for a walk in my neighborhood in the park where I take my kids every day?” (21:00)

• Darun Reflecting on Justice:
  “It's not. It's a nightmare.” (41:00)

• Darun’s Advice to Women:
  “You have a voice... you can also punch a man in the face and survive.” (41:05)

Conclusion

"A Morning Run" is a profound exploration of personal trauma intersecting with systemic shortcomings in victim support. Darun Henry's story not only highlights the immediate dangers of violent crime but also the long-term psychological and bureaucratic battles survivors face. Through empathetic storytelling and in-depth interviews, The Knife sheds light on the ripple effects of crime, advocating for better understanding and support for those who endure such experiences.

Transcript

[Darun Henry]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Darun Henry]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Darun Henry]

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[Hannah Smith]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Darun Henry]

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[Darun Henry]

So there was a silent moment between us where we were both trying to.

[Pasha Eaton]

Process what just happened after you punched him.

[Darun Henry]

Yeah, like just a still moment where I was like oh my God, I just punched a human in the face. Foreign.

[Hannah Smith]

Welcome to the Knife. I'm Pasha Eaton. I'm Hannah Smith and this week we speak with a woman named Darun Henry. She is a personal trainer, influencer and mother of two who lives in Toronto, Canada.

[Pasha Eaton]

In September of 2021, Dre had just moved into a new home with her kids and then husband. It was a nice, safe, family friendly area of Toronto. And then on September 15th she went for a jog at 11am in a park near her home and experienced something terrifying. We speak with Darun about her experience and the lasting impact of what happened to her, including a video of the incident that went viral. We will be back with you after the interview to give you some updates on Darun's story which is still ongoing today. As a note, this conversation with Darun happened on October 14, 2024.

[Hannah Smith]

Let's get into the inter.

[Darun Henry]

Foreign.

[Hannah Smith]

Let'S.

[Pasha Eaton]

Start off with you Telling us a little bit about yourself and your background.

[Darun Henry]

I'm Darun Henry. I am an online fitness coach. I'm a mother of two beautiful girls who are 13 and 7. And I'm just a very passionate entrepreneur. I had a very hard upbringing. I was born in Iraq. I'm Kurdish, so I not to like, go too deep, but I lost my brother. My brother was killed by a landmine when I was five, so. And then I was like a refugee until we came to Canada at the age of 7 or 8. So in 96. And so a lot of my conditioning was limiting beliefs. I was very insecure because I didn't do too well in school. I never got like, my university degree. I got pregnant at a young age. And so when I had my spiritual awakening and I was on my own personal development journey and I discovered who I am and how powerful I am and how limitless I am, I wanted to help women, like, discover that part of themselves, regardless of what you've been through, that you can become the best version of yourself. And so, like, that's where my passion lies right now. Right before the attack, I would say I was at the peak of my career. I was just the happiest version of myself.

[Pasha Eaton]

In September of 2021, Doroon and her family had just moved into a new home in Brampton, a city in the greater Toronto area. Doroon was delighted to find out that she was in walking distance to Massey park, which is a small park that sits in the middle of a heavily trafficked area, but still feels remote due to the density of the trees. So she started to do her daily workouts at Massey park.

[Darun Henry]

So it's September 15, 2021. So school had just started. Yeah, like I had taken the kids to school that day and I went for my jog around like 9:30. Being in the forest, I would often, like, do walking meditations. I'd connect with God. So on that day, it was different because I needed more content. So that was the, the only day I had taken my tripod. Because I do believe that having my tripod kind of saves me in a way. That day, I believe I got there around 9:50 ish. I shot content. I took pictures for about 20, 30 minutes. I was getting the right shots. I had my jump rope with me that day. So I was jump roping.

[Pasha Eaton]

So, you know when is the first moment that you thought, like, something is wrong?

[Darun Henry]

Yeah. So this was towards the end of my workout. So it was around 11am when I saw an elderly man who was maybe, like, 80 years old with a walker. And I saw him walking very slowly, and I actually noticed a random person. I noticed he was walking very slowly behind the elderly man. Like, almost as if he was just, like, with him, but you can tell they weren't together. I found him a little suspicious because he was dressed in all black. Like, black sweatpants, black sweater, a fitted hat, and he was wearing a mask. It was pretty warm day. It was September 15th. I was wearing shorts, so it was kind of, like, unusual to see somebody dressed, like, in a hoodie and, like, sweatpants and just fully covered and also, like, wearing a Covid mask. Not a lot of people wore the masks outside in the parks, so I did. I noticed him immediately as he was walking. Had his bike, but he wasn't on his bike. Like, he wasn't riding his bike. He was walking. They passed by, right? Like, they left. And I just continued doing what I was doing. And then at this point, I was stretching and looking at the sunshine, you know, shining through the leaves and just breathing and just. I was stretching, and I felt this, like, immense pain in my hamstrings. And, like, something told me to bend over, like, to stretch my hamstrings. And when I bent over, I literally saw him through my legs. So I jumped, and I was off to the side of the walking path so that people can pass by me. And when I bent over, I saw him, like, through my legs, literally. He was, like, right behind me, maybe eight feet away. And I jumped. I turned around. I wasn't scared, though. I just thought he was on a.

[Pasha Eaton]

Walk because I didn't know there was someone there.

[Darun Henry]

Yeah. Yeah. I had no idea. I was wearing these headphones, so I couldn't hear anything. And when I turned around and he was right. Directly right behind me, my tripod was on. Like, it was on the ground. And I think that. I don't think he was sure that, like, if it was recording or not, it wasn't recording, but he did notice my tripod. And then when I turned around, I said, oh, I'm so sorry. Like, I was just, like, so sorry I'm in your way. Right. Even though there's a huge walking pathway, like, you could go around me, like, you. There's no reason you should be directly behind me. And so, like, that's when I realized, oh, like, he really was trying to get really close to me, but I, like, caught him before he got too close. And as soon as I said sorry to him, he was very strange. He was just, like, didn't say anything. And then looks at my tripod and was like, asking me if I did YouTube. He's like, oh, do you do YouTube? And I was like, no. I was. I couldn't really hear him because he had his mask on. So then I was like, what.

[Hannah Smith]

What are you saying?

[Darun Henry]

And then he was like, do you do YouTube? And then he took his mask off. So he put it down to below his. His chin. And he kept asking me if. If I did YouTube. And I said, no, I don't do YouTube. He's like, are you. Are you a fitness instructor? I was like, yes, I. I'm a personal trainer. He's like, well, can I get your information? Like, my Facebook or, like, my socials? And I was like, no. Like, I only work with women. And then I just kind of, like, looked at him, like, walk away. Like, go now. And so, like, I was just getting annoyed of him. Like, it was. The conversation probably took, like, 30 seconds. And so I was waiting for him to walk off. And I was like, no. Like, I only work with women. You can't have my information. And so he got the point. And it was in that moment, like, he didn't say anything more. He just put his mask back on. And in this moment, I realized, oh, my God, he's going to try and rape me. Because he looks around. He looks in my eyes. And in that moment, I felt that realization. Like, that moment where you're like, I'm in danger. Like, I'm. Something bad is going to happen to me. Me, right now. And, like, I have to, like, fight. So I went into fight mode immediately because he looked around, he put his mask back on, and then he came to strangle me. So he came at me with his hands to strangle me, but before he could get to me, I crossed him. So I punched him with my right arm, my right disc. I punched him in his jaw. Like, I just. I don't know. I don't remember how hard it was. I mean, in that moment, I'm sure I punched him really, really hard. Not enough to knock him out, but he was shocked. So there was a silent moment between us where we were both trying to process what just happened.

[Pasha Eaton]

Like, after you punched him?

[Darun Henry]

Yeah, like, just a still moment where I was like, oh, my God, I just punch a human. Like, in the face. Like, I. I was taking boxing lessons, but I always had gloves on. I never punched a human before. Like, flesh and bone. So, like, there were so many thoughts running through my head, like, oh, my God, he's gonna kill me. I just punched a man in the face, and he's gonna kill me.

[Pasha Eaton]

So because you say, like, and you did this motion, which people can't see on the podcast, but you're saying that he was coming at you with his hands out in a clear way, that, like, he was going for your throat.

[Darun Henry]

Yeah, he was coming for my throat. Yeah. Like, that was hands down the scariest moment of my life. Just, I didn't even react. Like, I didn't even think. I just reacted and I punched him. And I honestly believe that, like, punching him in the face was the best thing I could have ever done because it completely threw him off. And after I punched him, I did freeze because I was like, at the end of the day, I'm 5:1 and he's really tall. He's. I don't know who he is, what he's capable of. I don't know if he has a weapon on him. But then right after I punched him and we had that silent moment for maybe five seconds, you know, it aggravated him, so he can't. He tried to take me down. And so I always mention that, like, my boxing lessons saved my life. I was able to fight him. So I literally heard my coach, his name is Jerry. And I. I literally heard Jerry in my head. I heard him say, put power behind it. Like, as I was punching, because that was something he'd often say to me, put power behind it. And it's that repetition of punching over and over and over, and even. I don't know how it happened, but he was on the ground. At one point, I kicked him really hard in his ribs. I wish I had kicked him in his balls, but I kicked him in his ribs. There was a point where he was looking for something on the ground, so he was searching for something on the ground. And in that moment, I thought, oh, my God, he's looking for a rock, like, to knock me out, right? Like, that was my thought. I was like, he's looking for something to, like, knock me out. And, like, that was the moment I remembered I had a voice. Because when you're fighting for your life and that, you don't remember that. Like, I didn't remember I was in a public park in that moment. I remembered, like, you're in a public park. There's people. Somebody's gonna hear you. And so I literally started screaming bloody murder. I started screaming for help, like, as loud as I could. And, yeah, like, that was something. It's hard to relive. But, yeah, like, I. I thought, like, if, like, that was my last resort, was just screaming for my life. It was really, really scary. So yeah, and then as soon as I started screaming for help, like his eyes burst, bulged out and yeah, and then he ran away. But when he ran away, he ran towards the right side of the forest and then I think he got maybe 10, 20 steps in and he stopped and he ran the opposite direction. And that's when I pulled out my phone and I started recording him because I needed evidence of him running away. I needed evidence of like what he looked like, what he was wearing. Like, I just needed something to show the police. I had no idea why he stopped and ran the opposite direction. But then I realized when he picked up his bike that it was the same person who had walked by me 10 minutes prior to and I realized that he had hit his bike and was watching me for about 10 minutes with the Best All Inclusive Vacation Deals to Mexico and the Caribbean Booking your getaway with Cheap Caribbean Vacations means you have more freedom to do your deal. Whether you want to enjoy snorkeling, endless margaritas and more, or simply soak up the sun and sand in a tropical paradise, Cheap Caribbean Vacations has your deal for that. Plan and book the exact getaway you want at exactly the right price for you by using our exclusive exclusive Budget Beach Finder. Or find a featured all inclusive package to Oasis Hotels and Resorts and do your [e-mail] PayPal lets you pay all.

[Hannah Smith]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Hannah Smith]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Hannah Smith]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Hannah Smith]

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[Darun Henry]

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[Pasha Eaton]

After Dorun was able to fight off this attacker, she somehow had the presence of mind to take out her phone and hit record, capturing him running into the woods. Then a man in the park who had heard her scream showed up and called the police. The following moments were a blur for doroon as multiple police officers and her husband arrived at the park.

[Darun Henry]

When I had somebody there, like, I was able to just kind of, like, break out of that shell, and I went into shock immediately. I just started wailing. Like, I couldn't help it. Like, I just started screaming. There was a lot of police around, and that police officer showed up. Within two minutes, he was there. The search started immediately. They were looking for him because we gave a description, but, yeah, he got away with it. Yeah. And then I somehow walked back home. My street was filled with police cars, and my neighbors had no idea what happened. There was just a lot of police in the area. And they kind of gave me a minute. And when I got home, that's when, like, the shock just kept getting worse. When I was, like, realized, like, realized what. What just happened? The first thing I did was, like, go to the bathroom and puke. I don't know how to describe it, but it felt like I puked. Like, this evil. Like, it just came out of me, and, like, it just. I puked, and I was. I was messed up. I was really messed up because I kept thinking, like, oh, my God, what if I didn't turn around? Like, what if he had just knocked me out before I had turned around?

[Hannah Smith]

There's obviously this range of emotions that you're then experiencing directly following the attack. What do logistically, the hours and the days following the attack look like?

[Darun Henry]

Yeah, that was a huge ordeal. When we get into the police, there's a lot to say because, you know, I essentially risked my life capturing that video because I should have been running to safety. But I took an extra 10, 15 seconds just to get him on camera. Yeah, when I. I was very disappointed when they told me that they couldn't do anything with that evidence. Like, I had this fantasy that, like, they were gonna put it on the news that night and show the clip of him running through the woods. And my neighborhood's gonna be safer place maybe, like, somebody can recognize him. And, like, I was so disappointed and so shocked when the police were like, no, like, we can't do anything with that.

[Hannah Smith]

What was their reason when they said, we can't do anything? Why?

[Darun Henry]

Well, because it's alleged. They can't prove what he did. They just have a video of a guy running through the woods. And it's an alleged attack. And yeah, like, they just don't do that. So I, I was like, okay, well what, what are you going to do? Like, there's a guy out there attacking women at 11am he is 1 million percent gonna do it again. And they're like, yeah, we, we're gonna put it up on our website. And then I was angry. I was like, what fucking website are you talking about? Like, I live in this neighborhood. I don't know about your website. I doubt anyone here knows that you have a website or that anyone goes on there daily to check. They questioned me for about half an hour and I was like, yeah, I was messed up, right? Like, they gave me maybe 10 minutes to myself. And like, during that 10 minutes I was puking, then we were talking and I was angry. I was so angry. I was like, what do you mean you're not going to do anything? What do you mean you're, you're just going to put it on a website? Like, what good is that? And they literally told me, like, like, the best thing you could do is just not go back and see the words. And I was like, I was like, are you fucking kidding me? Like, what am I, a caged up animal? I can't even go for a walk in my neighborhood in the park where I take my kids every day? Like, I walk my kids to the park.

[Hannah Smith]

Well, also, this is our advice to women on how to stay safe. Don't leave your house.

[Darun Henry]

Yeah, exactly.

[Pasha Eaton]

According to Jeroen, the police said they would post the report on their website to alert the neighborhood, but she didn't feel that this was good enough. After all, she lived in the neighborhood and she'd never heard of the website. Doon has a significant following on social media. And so the next day, when the police report still wasn't up online, Doone decided to post the video that she recorded in the park of her attacker. This is the first part of that video. Doon screams as a blurry figure darts through the woods. Help me. Help me.

[Darun Henry]

This guy tries to attack me.

[Pasha Eaton]

I have you on video, you piece of.

[Darun Henry]

I just punched him in the fucking face. Yeah, you piece of.

[Pasha Eaton]

The video then cuts from the park to Doroon, sitting on her front porch the following day, speaking directly to her followers.

[Darun Henry]

I want to make this video for my predator. I want him to know that when I punched him in the face, I wasn't scared at all. I wasn't scared. I'm crying because fucking took my sanctuary from me. It went viral within hours. And at one point, it was at 30,000 views, and it was at 300,000 views, and it was At 500,000 views. And it was just like a snowball effect. And it just kept getting bigger and bigger. And that was extremely hard to navigate through. As I'm trying to, like, collect myself, I was getting messages from all over the world. Like, it went viral in India. It went viral in Europe. It went viral in South America. For some people, it was like entertainment. I experienced a lot of victim blaming, but I have to say I did also feel, like the support of the world behind me. And they ended up posting the police report after it went viral. But I also felt like the system really failed me because if they had just taken me seriously, if they had publicized my report, then the second attack wouldn't have happened, which was just six days after mine.

[Pasha Eaton]

Do you know what happened with that attack? And how did you learn about that attack?

[Darun Henry]

I found out about the second attack through a follower. Somebody sent me the report. What happened was literally the same exact scenario. He attacked her on a Tuesday was around the same exact time, like 11:00am it was in another nearby park. He was on a bike, Same thing. He was dressed in sweats. But he had escalated it to he had taken a knife, so a box cutter to this next attack.

[Pasha Eaton]

After the second attack, Doroon was asked to come into the police station and look through a series of photographs to identify the attacker.

[Darun Henry]

He was like the second lost picture. So I had to, like, go through all those pictures. But as soon as his picture came up and I looked at his eyes, this energy rushed over me. And, like, every cell in my body screamed and was like, that's him. Like, I knew it was him because of his eyes. Because I can never forget that look he gave me right before he came to strangle me. And, you know, even though it was a picture, I felt those emotions. And then after they made me go through that, they were like, well, we have a disturbing question to ask you. I was like, what? And they were like, did he steal anything from you? Like, does he? Are you missing anything? And I was like, no, no, I'm not missing anything. But when they told me, like, they found him, he had a backpack on him and he had a bunch of women's items in there. And they told me that he goes out there looking for the opportunity to attack, and then that he is also a trophy keeper. So then he keeps something from his victims. And when they said that to me, I realized that when I thought he was looking For a rock to knock me out. He wasn't actually looking for a rock. He was looking to steal something to keep as a trophy. 19 year old Paul Youssef of Brampton was charged this week with assault, assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm in connection to two alleged incidents, Henry's and another that happened six days later. That incident taking place at nearby Jayfield Park.

[Pasha Eaton]

Law enforcement was able to identify and charge Paul Youssef. We don't have any information about the other victim as she was a minor at the time. Paul Youssef was arrested on September 28, 2021. Dorun now had a name for her attacker. And while she waited to see what would happen to him, she tried to continue living her life.

[Darun Henry]

I didn't sleep for maybe two weeks. I just couldn't. Although he wasn't successful, I went through a lot of the after effects.

[Pasha Eaton]

You know, it's interesting to use this word successful and I know what you mean by it because he wasn't able to, you know, do what he planned to do, which when you were in that moment was very clear to you. Looking in his eyes, you knew what he wanted to do. It's still just like he still attacked you, you know, you still had to go through that experience.

[Darun Henry]

He wasn't successful, but he was successful in breaking me and you know, making me feel violated. I still feel very violated. For the first two weeks before he was caught, I went through this intense like PTSD where I felt like he was in my kitchen every night. Like I couldn't even go downstairs to like get a glass of water because I felt like he was just there. There were many times where I would just be sitting on my front porch and like a man would walk by and I thought that man was going to come attack me and I would just run back into my. The PTSD was so intense that I literally jumped one day and like almost freaked out on an elderly man at the beach.

[Pasha Eaton]

Something that's important to note, in Canada, you are not allowed to carry a weapon or any tool that is specifically for the purpose of self defense, which would include pepper spray. It was difficult for Doroon to feel safe out in the world, even during the day. After all, she'd been attacked in a public park at 11am she feared something like this would happen again, knowing her only recourse, if it ever did happen, would be to fight.

[Darun Henry]

One of the triggers I have is that like when a man is walking towards me and making eye contact, I get triggered. Or if there's Somebody behind me, I will get triggered, and it will bring back that moment, and I'll go into, like, defense mode. Like, I didn't want to be touched. Like, even by my husband. Like, he couldn't even tap me on the shoulder without me jumping. I dressed in baggy clothes for weeks. Like, my body was. I felt so violated. There's a lot that victims go through that is not talked about.

[Hannah Smith]

Have you learned anything else about him throughout this process? Like, what does he do for work?

[Darun Henry]

Oh, yeah. Like, when we discovered who he was and it went public, I saw a few comments like, oh, I went to high school with this guy. So I went and I, like, did. Did my own research. I found out that he's Iraqi, which is crazy, because I'm Iraqi. I found out that he's my own people. And that was very disturbing. And that was one thing I found out about him. A lot of the girls I spoke to from his high school, I think I spoke to, like, two or three of them all told me he was a creep and that, like, he didn't handle rejection very well.

[Pasha Eaton]

Doone waited in anticipation to see what would happen to her attacker. Paul Youssef. The waiting, she said, was uncomfortable, but it was also not a new feeling for her. This experience flooded her with memories from a different incident that happened when she was a child.

[Darun Henry]

This is also not my first predator. When I was 11, I was groomed by my teacher, my drama teacher. Like, every kid wanted to be around him. Like. Cause he was cool, and he was, you know, like, if Mr. Telenko liked you, like, you're cool. And I didn't know he was grooming me until he made it so obvious, and he was like, well, I have a question for you. Do you have pubic hair? I was like, whoa. And I was going through puberty, and, like, I didn't even talk about that stuff with my own parents. So, like, for you to ask me as a teacher, I legitimately ran home that day. I think I answered him. I have no idea what my reaction was. I just was like, what the fuck, dude? And I ran out of there. Like, I went home. And then I just avoided him for the remainder of the year. You know, I noticed he always had, like, a favorite student that was always a female who was always in grade six. And the reason he targeted grade six students, and this is just all my theory was because the year, like, that was the last year of elementary, and then you go to middle school, and so you can kind of get away with doing whatever. And then they were off to the next school, which is exactly what happened with me. I just moved on and I went to the next school and I forgot about it.

[Pasha Eaton]

Doroon was clear that although her sixth grade teacher, Greg Telenko, had not physically abused her, his actions were harmful. He was a teacher, someone in a trusted position of authority, and he'd used that power to manipulate her. At the time, Doroon didn't know the term grooming, but she does now, and that is exactly what Greg Telenko was doing. Doroon listened to her instincts and distanced herself from Thalenko, never telling anyone what happened. That is, until two years later when she learned that she was not target.

[Darun Henry]

And then two years later, it came up that, like, after the year I left, there was like five girls that he was, you know, grooming and had invited back to his house and shown them porn on his computer. He had shown them his privates and, like, he took it so far with those girls, you know, they, I guess, thought it was a joke. They didn't realize what was happening. And they told me, like, we were on the bus going to school, like, they were in grade seven, I was in grade eight, and they were telling me all these stories and I was like, you guys, like, we have to come forward. And it was my idea to come forward because I have a younger sister and he used to call her little Darun. And I just knew that, like, she was his next target. So I, I really did it for my sister. And yeah, at a young age, I had to get questioned. I felt like I was getting interrogated by the police. There was, like, victim blaming involved at that time as well with the new teachers in grade eight. Like, I remember getting treated differently because of coming forward. And so, yeah, this is, this cuts deep because I still have trauma from the age of 11, 12, 13.

[Pasha Eaton]

Darun was a middle school, a time wrought with difficulties and insecurities for most of us. But still she decided to speak out and lead the charge in bringing Greg Tolenko's actions to light. Deroon's younger sister was going into sixth grade the next year, and she did not want her to have the same experiences with Telenko. As a result of Deroon and others Speaking out, in 2001, Greg Telenko was arrested and charged with sexual assault, invitation to sexual touching, sexual interference, and criminal harassment. He had been teaching at Cedar Drive public school for 12 years.

[Darun Henry]

At that point, I was very afraid of, like, coming out because as child, you think that, like, you did something wrong for the teacher to ask me A question like that, like, what did. What did you do for him to ask you that?

[Pasha Eaton]

Right?

[Darun Henry]

Like, that was how my mind worked. At the end of the day, I feel like my voice is there. Like, this time around, like, I fought so hard because of little Doone, because, like, little Doroon never got justice. Like, I was just like, yeah, I'm just, like, a witness in all this. But really, I was a victim, and I was groomed and my innocence was stolen. But I was okay with, like, not getting the justice as long as he was in trouble and as long as, like, there was other victims to help me prove that this guy shouldn't be a teacher, shouldn't even be around kids.

[Pasha Eaton]

I asked Arun what she meant when she said she never got justice as a child. And what came to light was that she felt she missed out on the process. She wasn't considered a main victim in the case, which she understands. But as a result, her story wasn't part of the case, and she did not attend any of the hearings. She didn't get to see it. She was just left to process what had happened to her alone. As a result of this, even years later, she explained that she still has questions and she never really got closure. And when she was attacked on September 15, 2021, in Massey park, suddenly this incident from middle school came back into her mind.

[Darun Henry]

I actually thought about Mr. Tolenko on my walk back home. Like, it happened immediately, like, after the attack. And I was walking back home, I thought of him, and I remembered that experience. It just came up, and I was just so angry about the world. Like, I'm just. I was just so angry. It just. It just came up. I guess it was just like that blocked trauma that was still in there. It all came up.

[Pasha Eaton]

Doroon spoke up in middle school and again as an adult after she was attacked in Massey Park. Her motivation? To warn others, to advocate for victims, and perhaps to make a big deal about something that is a big deal. Sometimes, though, you can do all the right things and still be let down. When I first spoke with Doroon in the fall of 2024, she told me that she was still waiting to know the results of Paul Youssef's case. I decided to see what I could find out. So I called the Peel Regional Police, and then they directed me to the Davis Courthouse in Brampton. We don't directly talk about this in the interview, but what happened was I was emailed the case documents the day before we recorded this interview with Deroon. I found out that the sentencing hearing had already happened. It happened in May of 2024. Paul Youssef was sentenced to four months of conditional sentence, house arrest, and two years probation. I didn't want to spring this information on Doroon during the recording, so I sent her an email the night before the interview with the case information. She later told me that while she is glad to have this information, it was also very difficult to receive, and it opened up a whole new set of worries for her.

[Darun Henry]

I have been waiting for three years. Nobody has updated me on anything. He only got four months of house arrest. He also lives in our neighborhood, so he lives within 5km of us. So that's the other scary part is like, yeah, like, he's, he's free now, and I had no idea.

[Pasha Eaton]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's pretty, like, ridiculous that they didn't update you on all of that, even just to keep you informed. I feel like that should have happened.

[Darun Henry]

I, I can't believe it. I legitimately had a mental breakdown last night. When I saw your message. I was like, what? That is impossible. Like, how could, how could they not tell me?

[Pasha Eaton]

I wasn't able to get a hold of anyone to ask them these questions. But it started, you know, it was so shocking to me when I heard that because he attacked two people. Clearly he was past you, hid his bike, was watching you. And maybe it goes back to this idea of was he quote, unquote, successful? And if he, you know, because he wasn't, then he gets a lesser sentence. But it really brings up this question of justice, because how is that justice?

[Darun Henry]

Yeah, it's not. It's a nightmare.

[Pasha Eaton]

Yeah.

[Darun Henry]

Like, it's, it's almost as if, like, you have to end up, like, dead in the woods for them to actually care or, like, do anything. And that's truly how I feel. Like, oh, you got attacks. Well, shit happens every day, Darun. Like, move on, right? Like, that's, that's how I took it. Like, well, you're lucky enough, you could fight. Fight, right? Like, you're lucky you got away. Like, it's all luck. It's like a game of luck. Like, I, I, I just kind of want to reiterate my message to women. And it's that you have a voice, right? And, like, that you're powerful and that you're stronger than you believe to be, and that you can also punch a man in the face and survive and that it's okay to freeze. I think that was one thing that, like, I felt like a lot of Victims came forward and kept saying, like, I wish I had your strength. I wish I had done something. But, like, I want to remind women that I also froze in that moment, like, right after I punched him. And like, that it's a very natural reaction to have. But the more prepared you are, right? Like, I, I just feel like I was prepared and that, you know, at the end of the day, I feel like, you know, I was very successful, quote, unquote, in getting him captured. And, you know, all that stuff because it rarely goes that far, right? So when we last left you, the facts were heating up. This is my favorite part. Are we going to break the case? No. We're planning our next all inclusive beach [e-mail] actually, this is my. My favorite part. @cheapcaribbean.com get more sand for your dollar with their beach favorite sale score. $175 instant savings on bookings of four nights or more to the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Aruba and the Bahamas. I've got my passport right here. Offer ends April 1st. Visit CheapCaribbean.com PayPal lets you pay all.

[Hannah Smith]

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[Pasha Eaton]

Who's paying for the mattress topper?

[Hannah Smith]

You mean the bean bag chair?

[Pasha Eaton]

Aren't we getting a mini fridge?

[Hannah Smith]

Can we create a pool on PayPal?

[Pasha Eaton]

It lets us collect the money before we buy. Ooh, yes, that's smart.

[Hannah Smith]

Glad we can agree on something easily.

[Darun Henry]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Darun Henry]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Darun Henry]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Hannah Smith]

Wow, that was an incredible interview. I'm so. I feel so lucky she shared her story with us.

[Pasha Eaton]

Me too. Yeah, it was really powerful and I'm so glad that she spoke with us.

[Hannah Smith]

Going into these interviews, we have to do some level of prep. And in this case, you discovered that Paul Youssef had already actually had his court proceedings.

[Pasha Eaton]

Mm.

[Hannah Smith]

So do you wanna Talk a little bit about how you navigated that going into the interview with Doroon.

[Pasha Eaton]

Yeah, it's not something I. I think I would have known how to do or felt comfortable doing before we started working in podcasting, because basically I couldn't find any information about it online. Neither could Darun, which is why she believed that the case was still open. And so I called the police station where the article I did find, where he was arrested, and then they told me the courthouse, which was like in a different county. So then I called the courthouse and got a hold of them, and then I was able to get the court documents. And I was really surprised to learn that the case was closed, that his sentencing hearing had already happened like six months before. And I don't know exactly why, why he got a four month conditional sentence and two years probation. But the most shocking thing to me was that Dorun had not been updated and had not been able to find this information and lived so close to him. Lives like a few miles away and had no idea.

[Hannah Smith]

Such a nightmare.

[Pasha Eaton]

Okay, so this takes place in Canada, which is different than the US And I'm not as familiar with the laws there. It was difficult, honestly, even getting the court paperwork, much more difficult than I found in the US When I've sought out records. So I reached out to a few different reporters. Essentially, I didn't get a clear answer on this, on what the process is, and also why a victim wouldn't be informed. But you might have some information about this?

[Hannah Smith]

Yeah, well, after we talked about this and came to this sort of realization that we weren't even clear on what Doroon's rights were as a victim of someone who physically assaulted her, probably with the intent to sexually assault her, you know, it was really alarming. And so I went ahead and contacted a victim advocacy group called the Canadian Resource center for Victims of Crime, and I spoke with a representative there, and she had some really interesting information. Essentially, in Canada, there exists the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, and Darun had a lot more rights than I think were exercised. And probably that's because she didn't even know that she had those rights. And it also goes back to, well, she's the victim of a crime, and so is the onus on the victim to go say, okay, what are my rights? Or is it on law enforcement to say, okay, here's your rights, or connect you to someone who can make you aware so that you can stay safe throughout this ordeal. And basically, she has what's called a right to information, which is about the status of the investigation, the alleged offense, the location of proceedings, available services, right to protection, right to participation, which is conveying their views when decisions are made by authorities.

[Pasha Eaton]

Well, this is why I was shocked because so many cases we've covered before, victims will get a chance to offer a victim impact statement at a sentencing hearing, which can influence a sentence on someone. Right. If a judge hears that this was incredibly emotionally traumatic or whatever that could be informative in sentencing. Well, if the victim is not informed about the sentencing hearing, they have no chance to offer a victim impact statement. Right.

[Hannah Smith]

And I think, you know, Drew in put it so well in the interview when she was talking about how, you know, this person attacked her in broad daylight. In broad daylight, I think it was 11:30am she was like, of course he was going to do this again. And she was right.

[Pasha Eaton]

And was keeping trophies.

[Hannah Smith]

Was keeping trophies. Like he was not someone who was just going to be kind of come to the realization that he shouldn't be doing this. He's dangerous. And so it was really scary, I'm sure, for her to learn that he actually lives quite close. And she had no idea what the status was of the case. No one told her. And she, it turns out, did have a right to that information. Now, when I spoke to the representative from this advocacy group, they said that it's not exactly clear whose job it is to say here are your rights, but that if you are a victim of a crime in Canada, especially a violent crime, you should be able to ask law enforcement what are some resources I can have access to? And they should be able to point you in this direction of either an advocacy group or paperwork that outlines your rights for you. And it's unfortunate, but it sounds like you do have to do some self advocating to get that information, but it does exist. So, you know, it's not ideal, but I think that it's an important takeaway for anyone who might find themselves in an unfortunate situation like this. Because I think had Darun known, she would have absolutely exercised those rights.

[Pasha Eaton]

Yeah, absolutely. You know, it's a good practice to, if you find yourself in that situation, to ask that of law enforcement. Who do I contact? What's the number? How often will I be updated? You know, ask all the questions. It's hard to also put that on a victim when hearing Doroon's story. It's like the shock. Even after this attack, she's not. She doesn't have the presence of mind to do that, I'm sure. But even to be able to Reach out after. You know, one of the things that I feel like I've learned from trying to track information down, calling courthouses, calling police stations, is like, you know, bureaucratic institutions are not just going to be like, here, let me help you and give you all this information. You just have to be like, okay, keep asking. Keep asking. Okay, well, you should contact this department. Cool. How do I do that? What would that website or that phone number be? You just have to ask a ton of questions, which. It's unfortunate that's the case.

[Hannah Smith]

But yeah, yeah, you have to be kind of a bulldog about it. I mean, you and I have been contacting courthouses and looking for court records and reaching out to law enforcement for a long time now. But still, sometimes I have a really hard time figuring out, how do I get to this person. Oh, you have to go through this other person. And, you know, pretty soon you're following up three times. And, you know, for us working in. In podcasting, obviously that's a less important email than a victim, but I think the same bureaucratic nightmare exists where you're like, okay, but who do I call? What is the number? And they're like, let me look into that.

[Pasha Eaton]

Yeah, well, that sounds like a really helpful organization. We should put that in the show notes.

[Hannah Smith]

Yeah, they're also, you know, there's no cost to utilizing their services.

[Pasha Eaton]

Oh, that's fantastic.

[Hannah Smith]

Yeah.

[Pasha Eaton]

Do they serve all of Canada?

[Hannah Smith]

I think they serve all of Canada, but I know they serve Ontario and they help people who have experienced violent crime. They have a homicide support group. They really have a lot of resources that I didn't even know existed that are more specific. So the Canadian Resource center for Victims of Crime. I'm just reading from what it says on their website. The CR CVC provides support, research and education to survivors of serious crime and stakeholders in Canada. So reach out to them if you need victim advocacy. I think that it was so easy for me to reach them and hop on a call. I have no doubt that they would help point someone in the right direction.

[Pasha Eaton]

Love that.

[Hannah Smith]

So if anyone is interested in reaching out to the Canadian Resource center for Victims of Crime, you can go to their website. It's crcvc, and there's a contact us link. And that is how I reached them. And I heard back within a day.

[Pasha Eaton]

Amazing.

[Hannah Smith]

Yeah, amazing. That was a great interview.

[Pasha Eaton]

Fantastic.

[Hannah Smith]

We'll be back next week.

[Pasha Eaton]

All right, looking forward to it.

[Hannah Smith]

If you have a story for us, we would love to hear it. Our email is the knife. Exactlyrightmedia.com or you can follow us on Instagram at the Knife Podcast or bluesky at the Knife Podcast.

[Pasha Eaton]

This has been an exactly right production, hosted and produced by me, Hannah Smith.

[Hannah Smith]

And me, Pasha Eaton. Our producers are Tom Breyfogle and Alexis Amorosi.

[Pasha Eaton]

This episode was mixed by Tom Breyfogle.

[Hannah Smith]

Our associate producer is Christina Chamberlain.

[Pasha Eaton]

Our theme music is by Birds in the Airport.

[Hannah Smith]

Artwork by Vanessa Lilac.

[Pasha Eaton]

Executive produced by Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark and Danielle Kramer. When you haven't found love, it can.

[Darun Henry]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Pasha Eaton]

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[Darun Henry]

Visit californiapsychics.com and experience the joy of certainty. California Psychics so when we last left you, the facts were heating up. This is my favorite part. Are we going to break the case? No. We're planning our next all inclusive beach vacation@cheap Caribbean.com actually this is my favorite [e-mail] get more sand for your dollar with our beach favorite sand sale score. $175 instant savings on bookings of four nights or more to the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Aruba and the Bahamas. I've got my passport right here. Offer ends April 1st. Visit CheapCaribbean.com okay, so we all need to get away from the world sometimes. Well, in the allnew 2025 Nissan Murano, you don't even have to go anywhere. The Murano is the getaway. Just picture it. The Bose Premium sound system plays your favorite favorite music as the Murano's massaging leather appointed seats melt away your stress. Yeah, that's a real getaway. Drive the all new 2025 Nissan Murano today. Bows and massaging leather appointed seats are optional.

[Hannah Smith]

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