CALGARY – A Calgary man accused of sexually abusing a child at his wife’s northeast dayhome was acquitted on Wednesday.
Christopher Colborne, 42, had been charged with sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching, but provincial court judge Heather Lamoureux said she was left with reasonable doubt.
Colborne hugged his family as the decision was handed down.
“It was like a big weight was released,” he said outside of court.
“I’m relieved. This past year has been really hard on my family and myself – and we’re glad it’s over,” Colborne added.
“It was hard to handle, but we got through it. We stayed strong; we stayed together.”
The allegations were reported to police in March 2015 after a four-year-old girl told her parents she was abused at her Coventry Hills dayhome.
The child told her mother she was asked to fondle Colborne when the two were left alone together.
During the trial, Colborne testified in his own defence, denying the allegations.
On Wednesday, he said he felt vindicated.
“It’s not something that’s easy to go through, and you have to stay strong,” Colborne said.
“I knew from the start I had done nothing wrong.”
Colborne’s defence lawyer Pawel Milczarek felt the judge came to the proper conclusion.
“It’s difficult to come to any sort of clear determination from any statement made by a child that young, and ultimately the right decision occurred here,” Milczarek said. “The judge was left with a reasonable doubt based on inconsistencies in the complainant’s statement.”
The allegations have had a huge impact on Colborne and his wife; they had to close the dayhome shortly after the charges were laid.
Colborne said now they can finally begin to rebuild their lives.
“I’m going to spend some time with family, and tomorrow will be a new day and just go from there.”