Trial underway in human trafficking case
A human trafficking case involving two B.C. men and a London, Ont. woman began Tuesday with one of the accused choosing to plead guilty.
Meaz Nour-Eldin, 25, who went by the nickname “Streets” pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in persons for exploitation.
However, a trial began for the other two, Elkan Vyizigaro, 25 — also known by the street name “Lavish” — pleaded not guilty to seven human trafficking related charges, while Jamie Ryckman, 26, pleaded not guilty to two similar counts.
When testimony began, the female victim who cannot be identified told the court how she was drawn into the sex trade in fall 2019.
She said, “I was not committed to be a part of this at all.” The woman testified that over time the situation turned fearful with Streets and Lavish, telling the court, “I had received threats...They were threatening to break my jaw.”
She said after her first sexual encounter, she was supposed to receive half of the cash but said, “He [Streets] said, ‘Give me all of the money right now.’”
While giving evidence the woman at the centre of the case was in another room and appeared by video in court. Throughout her testimony she appeared calm, and her evidence resumes on Wednesday.
The trial is slated to last two weeks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.