Doctor shocked by alleged victim’s ‘severe’ injuries

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Injuries suffered by a woman who claimed to have been sexually assaulted in a Penticton motel room were the worst a doctor who examined her had ever seen, a judge heard Thursday.

“I would classify this as severe. I have not had to document this amount of injury before in a sexual assault case,” Dr. Julie Parker told the B.C. Supreme Court trial of Darren Webb.

Webb is charged with aggravated sexual assault and assault causing bodily harm in connection to an incident Aug. 24, 2018, at the Pass Motor Inn.

In her testimony earlier this week, the complainant, who can’t be identified due to a routine publication ban, described Webb trying to choke and gag her with a towel, and trying to force vaginal and anal intercourse.

While not qualified to definitively link the complainant’s injuries to an assault, Dr. Parker nonetheless suggested it was a strong possibility.

Dr. Parker, who examined the complainant at Kelowna General Hospital about 12 hours after the incident, said there was red, pinpoint bruising on the woman’s forehead and cheeks consistent with a hand or towel being pressed over the woman’s face, plus abrasions on the inside of her upper lip that “would have been caused by her lip being pressed against her teeth.”

The doctor noted similar pinpoint bruising on the woman’s wrists, along with finger- or thumb-shaped bruising on the woman’s upper arms and inner thighs “that is often indicative of someone being grabbed and their legs being forced apart.”

Dr. Parker, who told the court she has performed approximately 25 such forensic sexual assault examinations, also noted multiple injuries to the complainant’s vagina, including a four-centimetre laceration.

“The only time I have seen that is in this case and trauma associated with child birth,” said the doctor.

“Are the injuries consistent with forced vaginal intercourse?” asked Crown counsel Nashina Devji.

“Yes, I would say they would be,” replied Dr. Parker.

The complainant in her testimony explained she had been living at the motel for a few weeks and arrived home from work on the night in question only to be confronted by Webb in her suite.

She said Webb forced her into a separate bedroom, where the assaults took place. The complainant described frantic efforts to fight back, and said the incident ended suddenly when Webb let her go.

The trial continues today.