Mother recounts hearing about alleged sex offences

The mother of a girl who said she was the victim of several sex offences gave tearful testimony Friday as she recounted learning about the allegations. That testimony took up most of the second day of the trial for Paul Wilfred Manning in provincial court in Georgetown. Manning was charged with two counts of sexual assault, two counts of exposing his genitals to someone younger than 16, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching. The woman’s testimony included details of when the girl told her about alleged incidents involving Manning, including him touching her genitals. During her testimony, the mother said the girl told her Manning made her touch him sexually.

The woman cried as she said the girl grabbed her mother’s wrist and moved her hand up and down on her arm as she demonstrated what Manning made her do to him.

After the mother finished her testimony, the girl’s former kindergarten teacher took the stand for the defence and talked about an incident when the alleged victim was five years old. She lifted her dress up and asked a boy to show her his privates, the teacher said.

The defence tried to ask the teacher questions that dealt with the girl’s credibility, but Chief Judge Nancy Orr, who is hearing the trial, wouldn’t allow them.

Orr said the law is clear, and the courts can’t put adult expectations on children.

“We can’t just assume that they’re short adults,” she said. There was no evidence presented up to that point that showed the girl had a propensity to lie, Orr said.

Orr also said she wasn’t satisfied evidence of what the girl did when she was five years old was relevant to the allegations or testimony from when she was older.

There was a brief tense moment in the courtroom when one of the girl’s family members yelled at Manning as he left the courtroom during a break in the proceedings.

“Don’t look at me Paul,” the man said.

The rest of the trial continued without any altercations. Manning is expected to take the stand. The trial was adjourned until Thursday. A publication ban prevents the release of any details that could identify the alleged victim.