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Watch above: sexual assault trial continues in Saskatoon
SASKATOON – It was another emotional day for the alleged rape victim who says she was drugged and repeatedly raped vaginally and anally on New Year’s Day 2012.
The accused, Farouk Sadiq and Timloh Butchange Khem, have both pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexual assault.
Defence for Khem got underway Tuesday morning, suggesting to the alleged victim there were several discrepancies in statements she gave to police regarding events leading up to the assault.
The witness acknowledged that and stated in an effort to provide police with as many details as possible, some information was provided by a friend who was in her company that evening.
Defence grilled the alleged victim on what exactly was used to rape her anally.
“Something was there, somebody was on top of me,” responded the witness.
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“I was being raped, I know this,” she said on the stand, often closing her eyes and breathing deeply to contain herself.
At one point, she turned to the two accused, saying “you guys raped me, you both raped me.”
Defence suggested the sex was consensual; however, the alleged victim maintains that despite not remembering much “she would never sleep with someone she didn’t know let alone two men.”
Court also heard from a former friend of the alleged victim who was with her that New Year’s and testified that by the time they left Beily’s bar they were both pretty drunk. She testified that when they got back to the student residence she went to bed and did not hear or see her friend until next morning.
The witness testified the alleged victim came to her the next morning and in a private conversation say that she didn’t remember what happened the night before, was in pain and may having fallen asleep while having sex.
Another witness for the Crown was Dr. Florence Wardell. The doctor examined the woman at 11 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2012 as part of the sexual assault response team. At the time of the examination, Wardell said the woman did not appear to be under the influence and she was appropriately emotional.
Collecting evidence as outlined in the sexual assault manual, Wardell testified the examination includes the combing of the pubic hair, signs of discharge or semen, an examination for signs of trauma, a vaginal swab and an anal swab.
Involved in at least 60 cases over a decade, Wardell said there was no apparent trauma to the woman’s genitals but said injuries to a person’s perineum are rare.
“Any drug testing in my opinion would have been negative,” said the doctor, since too much time had passed when the exam was performed on the woman.
The woman was also tested for HIV, Hepatitis B & C, chlamydia and gonorrhea and she would be prescribed two antibiotics to prevent STI infections as well as the morning-after pill.
A second doctor to take the stand was Dr. Jon Nataraj, who testified prescribing the woman two antiretrovirals for “post-HIV exposure” at the request of the alleged victim.
He would examine her Jan. 10, 2012 when she complained of rectal bleeding and testified that there was no evidence at that time of rectal tearing.
Nataraj testified to also seeing the woman in late February, when she was complaining about difficulty urinating.
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