'I’m a survivor': Witness tells jury of escape plan at sexual assault trial
A London, Ont. jury heard evidence on Tuesday of how the children involved in a case of sexual abuse eventually fled their home and contacted police.
The witness — who cannot be identified — has been on the stand testifying for one week. Under cross-examination from the defence, the child who is now an adult continued with the disturbing narrative.
”My mother is a psycho, my father is a psycho, you’d have to know them, you’d have to see what happened in my childhood,” she said.
Talking about their upbringing the witness continued, “I’m a scared child with an abuser in the house…I’m a survivor.”
The court heard that the Children’s Aid Society would eventually get involved and the parents were aware of it.
”I was forced to protect our father, he was still abusing us…that’s why we left in the middle of the night,” she testified.
The siblings would ultimately contact the police.
“They asked me if I wanted to come with them and I said, ‘Yes I would,’” she said.
The parents, who are both in their fifties, face a total of 47 charges including sexual assault with a weapon, incest, forcible confinement and failing to provide the necessaries of life.
The incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2003 and 2020.
The accused have both pleaded not guilty.
The first two witnesses at the trial have both described years of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of their mother and father.
When asked by the defence why the witness didn’t initially tell the authorities about the full extent of the events described during testimony, the witness said, “I wasn’t comfortable talking about everything that happened to me.”
The trial is now into its fourth week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
American Airlines drops law firm that said a 9-year-old girl should have seen camera on toilet seat
American Airlines has replaced the law firm that told a judge a nine-year-old girl was negligent in not noticing there was a camera phone taped to the seat in an airplane lavatory.
Luciano Benetton says he's stepping down as chairman of family-run brand as losses top US$100 million
Luciano Benetton, a co-founder of the apparel brand, announced he was stepping down as chairman in an interview published on Saturday with Milan daily Corriere della Sera. He blamed current management for losses of 100 million euros (US$108.5 million) that he discovered last year.
Toddler dies after being struck by recycling truck in Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood
A toddler has died after being struck by a recycling truck in a Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon.
1 dead, 3 in hospital after flying wheel crashes into bus windshield on QEW
A man is dead, and three others are in hospital after a flying wheel crashed into a coach bus on the QEW in St. Catharines.
How to keep insects out of your house, according to an entomologist and other experts
Now that temperatures have warmed up even more this spring, you may be anxious at the thought of bugs invading your home or you may already be battling the pests. Here are expert tips on how to keep them away.