Witness insists they are telling the truth at sexual abuse trial
WARNING: Contains disturbing content
A witness at the sexual assault trial involving parents is adamant the children involved in the trial are all telling the truth about what they had to endure during their upbringing.
Under cross-examination from the defence, the witness, who cannot be identified, maintained that the children in the home were not lying, “We did not concoct a story to tell CAS (Children’s Aid Society)…everything I said was the truth.”
They added, “It’s a tough subject to talk about, as a sex crime survivor I would rather talk about the times I was beat rather than the times I was raped.”
The witness told the jury that the abuse took place throughout their upbringing, ”I was a 17 year old, I was scared, I was afraid to tell the CAS workers what my abusers were doing to me.”
The mother and father, 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 parents have both pleaded not guilty.
The witness, who is now an adult, said after years of abuse, the children finally decided to come forward to report what was going on, “I was talking to the kids’ helpline…we all knew that the children were getting hurt and that it had to stop.”
The trial resumes next week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.