This sentencing decision concerns Sgt. Alex Esliger of the Canadian Armed Forces, convicted of sexual assault under s. 271 of the Criminal Code for an incident occurring during deployment in Iraq.
The court carefully considered the facts, including the nature of the assault involving forced digital penetration and attempted intercourse, the victim impact, and the offender’s background including mental and physical health issues.
The judge emphasized principles of denunciation and deterrence, referencing key Supreme Court and Court of Appeal authorities, and rejected a conditional sentence despite defence submissions.
The sentence imposed was three years’ imprisonment, a 20-year SOIRA order, and a 10-year firearms prohibition, reflecting the serious nature of the offence and its impact within a military context.
