Regina man denies all allegations of sexual assault against 12-year-old
The sixth day of trial for a man accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old continued at Court of Queen’s Bench Monday.
Christopher Cameron Duke is accused of sexually assaulting the child, who was known to him, on July 31, 2019.
Any information about the alleged victim and witnesses that would identify them is subject to a publication ban.
Duke took the stand for the first time in court Monday morning. When asked about the sexual assault allegations the alleged victim talked about in their testimony, Duke maintained his innocence.
Duke spoke of the timeline of events during the night of the alleged assault, telling a very different story than those presented by the crown’s witnesses.
He alleged he was playing with the alleged victim the night of the incident, saying the alleged victim voluntarily went into the room he was in and was laughing with him.
During the alleged victim's testimony last week, they said Duke threw them on a bed and assaulted them while he was standing up. Duke refuted this in his testimony saying on the night of the incident he was standing and tickling the complainant and when the other sibling came into the room and began tickling them as well.
During cross-examination, crown prosecutor Leona Andrews argued Duke had sexually assaulted the alleged victim on July 31, 2019, and countless other times
Duke has pleaded not guilty.
Monday afternoon, defence attorney Chris MacLeod called Forensic DNA consultant, Lisa Mokleby to the stand.
Mokleby went over the lab results from the alleged victims sexual assault kit.
She agreed with those who examined the lab results but cautioned the Y-STR test, which ignores the presence of female DNA and focuses entirely on male DNA. The test doesn’t prove that the male DNA found was Dukes.
The crown argued that Duke couldn’t be eliminated as a suspected match for the test either.
The case has now been adjourned until April 4, when both the crown and defence will give their final arguments to the judge
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.