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
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man books $7,700 luxury villa on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he was charged more than $7,700 to book a luxury villa on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
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.
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.