The defendant, Raby Shahin, was charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of forcible confinement, and one count of criminal harassment.
The trial focused on the credibility and reliability of the complainant (P.B.) and the defendant.
The court found significant inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony regarding her relationship with the defendant, her voluntary contact with him, and the details of the alleged assaults, particularly concerning where she was sleeping during two alleged incidents.
The court also noted the complainant's evasiveness and argumentative demeanor during cross-examination.
While acknowledging that post-assault conduct should not lead to adverse inferences based on stereotypes, the court found the complainant's attempts to distance herself from the defendant not credible.
Conversely, the defendant's testimony was found to be generally forthright, despite some confusion regarding evidence extraction.
Ultimately, the Crown failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to an acquittal on all counts.
