Podcasts · True Crime · Society & Culture

In Her Defence: Breach of Trust

The Globe and Mail

26 episodes · in order · Explicit

What happens when one of the “good guys” turns out to be a bad guy?

More about the show

The highly-acclaimed true crime podcast series In Her Defence returns with In Her Defence: Breach of Trust. This seven-episode season explores the case of Sgt. Robert Semenchuck, a Regina police officer who preyed on hundreds of vulnerable women using information from police databases.

Some of those women risked it all to expose him, and hold him accountable. But would the system punish one of its own?

Hosted by award-winning crime reporter Jana G. Pruden, and based on more than 50 hours of exclusive interviews with dozens of women, police officers, lawyers and legal experts, In Her Defence: Breach of Trust reveals serious gaps in the way law enforcement agencies in Canada are policing themselves, and the serious harm women are suffering as a result.

Launching September 8, 2026. Follow In Her Defence now, so you don’t miss an episode.

Episodes

  1. Introducing: In Her Defence

    · 2:47 · Trailer · Explicit

    The first two episodes of In Her Defence will be released on October 10th. Follow now so you don’t miss a new episode. Theme song, “The Fighter,” by Jenn Grant. If you’re experiencing intimate partner violence, you…

  2. Episode 1: The Ticking Time Bomb

    · 34 min · S1 E1 · Explicit

    Wes Naslund gets a phone call from his brothers at the farm. Friends and family describe the domestic abuse they suspect was going on in the Naslund house. A fight at the bar leaves Miles seriously injured, and things…

  3. Episode 2: Helen in Hell

    · 42 min · S1 E2 · Explicit

    Helen Naslund speaks from prison for the first time. Helen describes how she met and married Miles, and the only time she tried to leave. Early one morning in September 2011, two gunshots crack through the house.…

  4. Episode 3: All Hell Breaks Loose

    · 32 min · S1 E3 · Explicit

    Wes Naslund talks about growing up with his father. Miles Naslund is reported missing, but no one seems to care he’s gone. Helen and her family live with a haunting secret. One day in 2017, almost exactly six years…

  5. Episode 4: Responsibility Pie

    · 38 min · S1 E4 · Explicit

    Helen is interrogated by police officers who say they understand the abuse she’d been living with, and know that something had to happen for her to get free. Someone she loves has betrayed her. Her life – and the lives…

  6. Episode 5: The Battered Woman Defence

    · 32 min · S1 E5 · Explicit

    The 1987 case of Angelique Lavallee provides a roadmap for the “battered woman defence.” Canada’s first female Supreme Court justice, Bertha Wilson, attempts to expose systemic sexism in the justice system. Helen is…

  7. Episode 6: Thanks, Gentlemen

    · 31 min · S1 E6 · Explicit

    Helen is sent to prison for the death of her husband. Around the country, people object to her sentence and the way she’s treated in court. In the isolation of prison, Helen wonders whether she’s done something wrong…

  8. Episode 7: Seemed Like a Loser

    · 30 min · S1 E7 · Explicit

    Appealing a plea deal is a long-shot, but defence lawyer Mona Duckett wants to take it on. The Crown says justice has been served. The Court of Appeal considers Helen’s future. Theme song, “The Fighter,” by Jenn…

  9. Episode 8: Freedom

    · 37 min · S1 E8 · Explicit

    Did Helen really kill Miles? A burning question remains. As Helen works toward release from prison, we think about what made Miles who he was, and consider the legacy of his violence. Theme song, “The Fighter,” by…

  10. Crime Story: An in-depth interview with Jana Pruden

    · 47 min · Bonus · Explicit

    In this special bonus episode, our host Jana Pruden sits down with Crime Story’s Kathleen Goldhar to discuss the question, “How should we deal with women who kill their abusers?” You can listen to more incredible…

  11. Introducing In Her Defence: 50th Street

    · 3:03 · Trailer · Explicit

    Do you recognize this man’s voice? Coming this fall, In Her Defence: 50th Street investigates the unsolved murder of Amber Tuccaro, who disappeared from the Edmonton area in 2010. Amber left an important clue: A…

  12. Missing / ê-wanihiht

    · 34 min · S2 E1 · Explicit

    Amber Tuccaro flies south to Edmonton with her baby and a new friend, and vanishes. Amber’s family doesn’t trust the police investigation, and her relatives and friends do everything they can to find her and bring…

  13. Home / wîkihk

    · 32 min · S2 E2 · Explicit

    Amber’s cousin gives us a tour of Fort Chipewyan, the northern Alberta community where Amber was raised. We learn about Amber’s life before she disappeared, and about the threats that were facing Indigenous women in…

  14. What the trees know / kîkwây mîtosak ê-kiskêyihtahkik

    · 34 min · S2 E3 · Explicit

    Police decide to release the tape to the public, hoping someone will recognize the voice of the man who was with Amber when she disappeared. Amber’s remains are found in a field outside the city, close to where four…

  15. Blatant Failures / mâmâsîs ê-tôtahkik

    · 30 min · S2 E4 · Explicit

    A notorious serial killer prompts a broad reckoning around the murder of Indigenous women and girls in Canada. Amber’s family files an official complaint around how her missing persons investigation was handled, and a…

  16. The Voice / ni nisitawinawâw

    · 33 min · S2 E5 · Explicit

    The release of the voice brings out a flood of tips and suspects. Experts study the tape for clues about the voice, while police come to realize the recording doesn’t have the investigative value they once hoped.…

  17. Persevere, keep trying, don’t give up / âhkamêyimok

    · 40 min · S2 E6 · Explicit

    What was Amber doing when she disappeared? Police provide some new information about the rest of the phone call, and their investigation. Amber’s mother faces a serious new threat, but vows to keep fighting. Email the…

  18. The Decibel: How to make a true crime podcast

    · 24 min · Bonus · Explicit

    In this bonus episode, we share Jana's interview with The Decibel's Menaka Raman-Wilms. Follow The Decibel for more stories from The Globe and Mail's newsroom, delivered to you every weekday morning. Hosted by…

  19. Introducing In Her Defence: Breach of Trust

    · 3:18 · Trailer · Explicit

    What happens when one of the “good guys” turns out to be a bad guy? A Regina police officer preyed on hundreds of vulnerable women using information from police databases. Some of those women risked it all to expose…

  20. Episode 1: Steve Wrong Number Boy

    · 39 min · S3 E1 · Explicit

    It was one single word that caught the attention of Kerry Benjoe, and made her question what she knew about the man she’d been seeing on-and-off for five years. What she learned would turn her life upside down, and…

  21. Episode 2: Bob. Bob Semenchuck.

    · 29 min · S3 E2 · Explicit

    Officers at the Regina Police Service begin an internal investigation of one of their colleagues, and turn up a case larger and more complex than they could have imagined. Sgt. Alana Heiliger begins to identify…

  22. Episode 3: Witnesses to a Crime

    · 36 min · S3 E3 · Explicit

    Dozens of women receive a mysterious phone call from police in Regina, telling them they’ve been witnesses to a crime. A meeting with police investigators leaves some victims terrified, and brings old trauma painfully…

  23. Episode 4: Eyes on IEIS

    · 41 min · S3 E4 · Explicit

    Jana learns more about Robert Semenchuck’s life and history as a police officer – and about the powerful database he was using to access personal information about his victims. Police professional standards…

  24. Episode 5: Bad Apples

    · 38 min · S3 E5 · Explicit

    Police sexual misconduct isn’t only a problem in Regina. Investigation shows dozens of officers around the country are accused of misusing their power – and databases – for sexual purposes, whether targeting vulnerable…

  25. Episode 6: Seduction and Deception

    · 33 min · S3 E6 · Explicit

    Is it possible to truly consent to sex, if you don’t know the true identity of the person you’re having sex with? Some of the women who had sexual relationships with Robert Semenchuck struggle with a plea deal they…

  26. Episode 7: Victim Impact

    · 36 min · S3 E7 · Explicit

    The women finally get a chance to address Robert Semenchuck in court, and their victim impact statements lead the judge to consider whether the plea bargain is an appropriate sentence. After a two-week wait, the women…

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