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A former student from St. Michael’s College School will serve two years of probation for his role in sexually assaulting a fellow student with a broom in a locker room in 2018, the same sentence as the other four perpetrators, a judge ruled Tuesday.
The teenager, who has now graduated from high school, cannot be identified under the Juvenile Criminal Justice Act.
The sentencing decision comes three years after media reports of a disturbing video circulating on social media prompted a police investigation into a locker room sexual assault involving members of a soccer team in Toronto’s private men’s school.
After a 13-day trial, Ontario court judge Manjusha Pawagi found the teenager guilty of gang sexual assault and assault with a weapon. The teenager admitted that he helped contain the victim, preventing him from escaping a “violent and humiliating sexual assault” while they were surrounded by a group of 10 to 20 children who cheered and laughed, Pawagi said.
She rejected the teen’s claim that he only participated because she feared he would be harmed next, but noted that the teen apologized to the victim shortly after, both in person and via text message. According to his counselor for the past two years, he also showed understanding and shame for his actions and a desire to be better in the future, he said. He also completed 180 hours of community service while in high school.
The Crown had requested a three-month prison sentence, while the defense argued that a period of probation was sufficient.
In passing his sentence, Pawagi noted that the other four teens involved in the attack received the same two-year probation sentence after pleading guilty in 2019, despite two admitting to being involved in a similar sexual assault and assault on another. child in September and October. 2018. Another of the adolescents who was initially sentenced to two years of probation had the sentence reduced to absolute loss.
All three attacks were filmed by a student holding a cell phone, and in two cases the video was widely shared on social media. In the other case, the student who took the video deleted it after the victim pleaded with him to do so.
The incidents led to extensive discussion about physically and sexually violent hazing on sports teams, particularly in high schools, and experts called for a major change in culture and responsibility.
The victim did not testify at trial, nor did any of the other teens who were found guilty. Instead, Crown relied on a 30-second video of the sexual assault and the testimony of other witnesses in the locker room.
The victim also did not provide a victim impact statement. At the sentencing hearing in 2019, her parents said she couldn’t because she couldn’t relive what happened. His parents described feeling “helpless” and fearful of being affected by the attack for the rest of his life.
Although Tuesday’s hearing concludes the criminal proceedings, there is a pending lawsuit against the school, the former principal of the school who resigned amid harsh criticism of the school’s handling of sexual assaults and the coaches presented by the victim of assaults. September and October 2018.
Reference-www.thestar.com