In Her Defence: Breach of Trust

What is the podcast about?

In Her Defence: Breach of Trust is a seven-episode original investigative podcast from The Globe and Mail, launching on September 8, 2026. It is the latest season of The Globe and Mail's acclaimed In Her Defence podcast series, and it centres on one of the most disturbing alleged abuses of police power in recent Canadian history: the case of Sgt. Robert Semenchuck, a Regina police officer accused of using privileged access to law-enforcement databases to systematically prey on hundreds of vulnerable women.

The series is available through The Globe and Mail's podcast pages and on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts, making it widely accessible to listeners across Canada and internationally.

The case behind the podcast

At the heart of Breach of Trust is an allegation that cuts to the core of what it means to trust the people who are supposed to protect you. Sgt. Robert Semenchuck, a serving member of the Regina Police Service in Saskatchewan, Canada, is alleged to have exploited his privileged access to sensitive police databases — systems designed to help officers protect the public — to identify, target, and prey on vulnerable women.

The case raises profound questions about systemic safeguards within Canadian policing: Who monitors how officers use sensitive personal data? What protections exist for the women whose information flows through those systems? And how many victims can accumulate before an institution acts? According to the podcast's own description, the number of women allegedly affected runs into the hundreds — a figure that, if accurate, would place this among the most extensive known cases of police database misuse in Canada.

The alleged crimes took place in Regina, Saskatchewan, and the case sits at the intersection of sexual exploitation, institutional failure, and the vulnerability of those who turn to police for help. The first episode, Steve Wrong Number Boy, signals the podcast's approach: building the story from the ground up, through the experiences of the women whose lives Semenchuck is alleged to have entered without their knowledge or consent.

It is important to note that, at the time of this catalogue entry's publication, no verified final verdict, sentencing outcome, or court judgment has been confirmed through available sources. The legal proceedings surrounding Semenchuck should be treated as ongoing, and listeners are encouraged to follow current news coverage for updates on the case's status.

The host and the production

In Her Defence: Breach of Trust is hosted by Jana G. Pruden, an award-winning crime reporter at The Globe and Mail. Pruden is one of Canada's most respected journalists working in the long-form crime and justice space, and her involvement signals the seriousness and editorial rigour that The Globe and Mail has brought to this investigation.

The podcast is an original production of The Globe and Mail, one of Canada's most storied national newspapers, which has built a growing reputation for high-quality audio journalism through its podcast arm. The In Her Defence series itself has established a track record of examining cases involving women — either as victims, accused, or both — with depth and care that distinguishes it from more sensationalist true crime fare.

The seven-episode structure gives the production room to move carefully through the evidence, the institutional context, and the human stories at the centre of the case — a format well-suited to the complexity of what is alleged to have occurred in Regina.

Reception

At the time of its launch in September 2026, In Her Defence: Breach of Trust had been described in advance materials as "acclaimed" and "highly-acclaimed," consistent with the reputation of its predecessor seasons. However, specific review scores, listener figures, award nominations, or measured critical responses were not available from verified sources at the time this catalogue entry was compiled. As the series reaches its full audience, reception data will be updated accordingly.

What is already evident is that the subject matter — a serving police officer allegedly weaponising the very tools of law enforcement against the public he swore to protect — has the hallmarks of a story with significant public interest and journalistic importance beyond the true crime genre alone. The podcast is expected to draw listeners from audiences interested in policing accountability and institutional reform, as well as those who follow investigative audio journalism more broadly.

Listeners can follow the series on Apple Podcasts and other major platforms, where ratings and reviews will accumulate as the season releases.

The case today

As of the launch of In Her Defence: Breach of Trust in September 2026, the legal status of Sgt. Robert Semenchuck remains unverified in available public sources. No confirmed verdict, guilty plea, acquittal, or sentencing has been documented in the materials reviewed for this entry. The case appears to be at or moving through a stage of legal proceedings, and its ultimate resolution — including any implications for Regina Police Service policy and oversight of database access — remains to be seen.

The podcast itself is likely to play a role in shaping public understanding of this case, as investigative audio journalism increasingly functions not only as a record of events but as a catalyst for institutional scrutiny. Whether Breach of Trust prompts formal reviews of how Canadian police services monitor officer access to sensitive personal data remains one of the more consequential questions raised by the series.

Listeners seeking the most current information on the case are advised to monitor reporting from The Globe and Mail and other Canadian news organisations alongside their listening.