During a trial for sexual offences, the defence sought to cross-examine the 13-year-old complainant's mother about her history of sexual abuse, arguing it might be relevant to how the mother advised her daughter on protection against unwanted sexual overtures.
The Crown objected on grounds of relevance, asserting the complainant learned of her mother's history only after disclosing the allegations against the accused, and that an individual's prior sexual history is irrelevant to credibility.
The court ruled that the mother's history of sexual abuse was not relevant to the complainant's credibility or to any "street-proofing" advice she might have received, especially given the complainant's lack of prior knowledge of her mother's history.
The defence's request to question the mother on this topic was denied.
