Mother continues to deny wrongdoing at sexual abuse trial

Under tough cross-examination from the Crown, a London, Ont. mother continued to vehemently deny that she sexually abused her children.

The 54-year-old mother resumed with her testimony Monday for a second straight week in a row.

Crown Attorney Jennifer Moser questioned the woman’s parenting skills and habits which included taping her children’s mouths and forcing them to swallow tabasco sauce when they used foul language.

The Crown asked, “You say they opened their mouths willingly to allow you to shake hot sauce directly down their throats and into their mouth?

“Yes, I do…and it was only when they were younger,” the witness replied.

When referring to earlier testimony that a dog collar was placed around one of the children’s necks, the Crown asked, “The purpose was to humiliate your child?”

The witness responded, “No, I loved my children, I tried everything I thought I could do to give them the best opportunities.”

During the trial, the jury has heard that one of the kids had her fingernails ripped out. When questioned, the mother said, “I did not rip them off, I could not rip them off, I couldn’t ever.”

When it came to allegations of sexual abuse, the witness once again denied any wrongdoing.

“I didn’t sexually assault any of my children in any way,” she said.

The mother and her estranged husband face more than 40 charges, including sexual assault with a weapon, incest and forcible confinement.

The incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2003 and 2020.

They have both pleaded not guilty.

Earlier in the day the mother said she did her best to discipline her children in a positive way but tearfully admitted, “I was sorry, I am sorry and I did apologize to each one of my children.”

The trial is now into its sixth week of evidence.