{"id":23183,"date":"2017-02-07T15:19:50","date_gmt":"2017-02-07T15:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filkowlaw.com\/?p=23183"},"modified":"2023-06-07T18:44:11","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T18:44:11","slug":"sexual-assault-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filkowlaw.com\/sexual-assault-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"Sexual Assault Charges In Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sexual assault<\/a> is one of the most serious charges in the Criminal Code<\/i>, and the area of law is also one of the most complex.<\/p>\n

Over the last few decades, our society has transformed in how it understands and responds to allegations of sexual assault and similar offences, and the legal process in cases of sex assault has been at the centre of a series of recent high-profile news stories in Canada and abroad. Canadian criminal law has transformed, too — and for good reason, because the law used to allow too many old, unproven myths and gender stereotypes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The law has special rules and procedures meant to address the unique nature of these <\/span>charges, and society\u2019s interest in balancing fairness for complainants (which is what we call the alleged victim during the legal process) with fairness to the accused.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is considered sexual assault in Canada?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are a number of different charges in the Criminal Code<\/i> that cover different types of specific conduct, but at its core a sexual assault, in law, is an assault (usually touching of some kind) that is sexual in nature and to which the complainant did not consent. Each of these concepts \u2013 assault, sexual nature, and consent \u2013 means something different in Canadian criminal law than it might in everyday life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each case is different, but here are some of the more common scenarios along with examples of the kinds of special rules and procedures that are involved:<\/p>\n

In some cases the issue is whether the events in question ever took place. This is more common with historic sex assaults (where the alleged event took place a long time ago) or where the complainant was a child at the time of the alleged events. The law now makes it clear that corroboration \u2013 outside evidence that confirms what the complainant says \u2013 is not required for a conviction, so the case turns on the complainant\u2019s version of events. Cross-examination of children is a specialised skill on its own, and in cases like this the Crown often uses special procedures to try to have the complainant\u2019s video-taped statements to police used as evidence at trial instead of having the complainant re-tell their whole story when they take the stand to testify in court. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes nobody disputes that an assault took place, but the issue is who committed the assault. In these situations the police and Crown might gather and use DNA and other types of forensic evidence, which brings with it its own complex body of law about how it can be collected and interpreted in court.<\/span><\/p>\n

Often, when nobody disputes that the events happened between the particular people, the issue is whether the complainant really did consent or not. If they did consent (as the law defines it), then it is not an assault as far as the law is concerned. This is one of the more difficult scenarios to navigate in the courtroom because there were almost never other people around who can testify about what happened, so it comes down to the complainant\u2019s story versus that of the accused. This is also one of the topics the law has evolved to address differently than it used to. For example, except in rare cases, the complainant\u2019s sexual history can\u2019t be made part of the trial and defence lawyers can\u2019t use it to argue that a complainant was more likely to have consented because they consented to other acts in the past, or that the complainant is generally less worthy of belief. <\/span><\/p>\n

Another scenario is when the complainant did not consent to the sexual activity but the accused person mistakenly believed that they did. This raises the defence of honest but mistaken belief in consent. Again, though, this is not as simple as just arguing that the accused really did believe it \u2013 rather, the law requires evidence that the accused person\u2019s belief was reasonable and that they took real steps to make sure the complainant was consenting. The accused can\u2019t have been reckless or wilfully blind (once again, terms with special meanings in the law) about what the complainant wanted. The law also says the accused can\u2019t argue that their own intoxication was what made them make the mistake.<\/span><\/p>\n

Need Legal Assistance? Call Filkow Law<\/h2>\n

No matter the facts of the particular case, sexual assault charges in Canada have serious consequences for an accused person. If you\u2019re being investigated for or have been charged with a sexual assault or a related offence, it is highly recommended that you contact an experienced criminal defence lawyer<\/a> to protect your interests throughout the process. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sexual assault is one of the most serious charges in the Criminal Code, and the area of law is also one of the most complex. Over the last few decades, our society has transformed in how it understands and responds to allegations of sexual assault and similar offences, and the legal process in cases of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":23958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,24],"tags":[38,40],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSexual Assault Charges in Canada | Vancouver Criminal Lawyer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A sexual assault charge is one of the most serious offences in the Criminal Code, and the area of law is also one of the most complex.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index,follow\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/filkowlaw.com\/sexual-assault-charges\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sexual Assault 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