Witness shocked to learn couple accused of sex assault on teen

Woman didn’t see any inappropriate behaviour at party between pair and girl

During a night of partying with her uncle, her uncle’s friend and another couple, a 16-year-old girl was happy to hear that the couple might return to her home later that morning, according to a woman who was with the group.

It was around 4:30 a.m. on June 20, 2015 and the group had been drinking alcohol at the teen girl’s home, a Saskatoon courtroom heard this week.

The couple is accused of performing sex acts on the girl later that morning while she was intoxicated. The girl told police she said no and told the man and woman to stop.

The couple are on trial before a judge and jury at Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench. They are both charged with sexual assault.

Tina Caron testified on Wednesday that she met the complainant for the first time on the night of the incident. She was friends with the girl’s uncle (who lived with his niece) and was invited back to their house after a night at the bar, she said.

The group was socializing in the basement when the girl’s uncle passed out on his bed, which was in the same room, Caron testified.

Shortly after, the girl started telling her things that made her uncomfortable, she said.

Under questioning by defence lawyer Jane Basinsky, Caron said the girl asked her what she would do if she started stripping, noting that it would make her uncle mad. Caron said she told the girl it would make everyone mad.

She testified the girl, who she knew was 16 years old, had been drinking a “mickey” of vodka. Both Caron and the girl’s uncle, called to the stand as defence witnesses, said the girl didn’t appear overly intoxicated.

The complainant, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, testified on Tuesday that she was blacking in and out because it was her first time drinking alcohol. However, the girl’s uncle, who cannot be named because it could identify the complainant, said the girl told him she had drank vodka before.

Caron said when she and the couple decided to leave, the complainant asked the couple if they would be coming back to the house. The girl seemed happy when they indicated they might, but she still insisted on coming with the adults, Caron said.

“It was like she didn’t want to be alone,” Caron told the jury.

She said she dropped the couple and the girl off at the couple’s van. Under cross-examination, she said she did not see them drive away.

The next day, Caron said the girl’s uncle told her that the man from the previous night had forced himself on his niece. He didn’t mention anything about the woman, she said.

Caron told the defence she was shocked by the allegation, saying the couple didn’t leave each other’s side the entire night. She said she didn’t observe any inappropriate behaviour between the couple and the teen, and said her conversation with the girl had nothing to do with the couple.

The trial is expected to continue today.