The Crown sought to adduce videotaped statements of two young complainants under s. 715.1 of the Criminal Code in a trial for historical sexual offences.
The accused conceded the prerequisites were met but sought to edit out portions of the statements, arguing they exceeded the scope of 'the acts complained of'.
The court held that in cases of ongoing abuse, the statutory phrase includes the accused's treatment of the complainants leading up to and during the period of the charges, as this provides necessary context.
The court ordered specific edits to remove irrelevant, hearsay, and overly prejudicial comments while admitting the contextual evidence.
