Woman says plaintiff raped her in dorm
Man’s $1.35M lawsuit alleges claims are false
A former Trent University student has filed a statement of defence and counterclaim in response to a lawsuit that alleges she falsely accused a man of sexual assault.
In October 2020, Adam Bullock filed a $1.35-million lawsuit, claiming the woman tried to maliciously prosecute him on sexual assault charges back in 2017 when both were Trent University students.
In her statement of defence, the woman alleges Bullock sexually assaulted her twice in the fall of 2017.
“At the time that the abuse occurred, the woman (name omitted), felt afraid, shocked, confused and ashamed. It was, and continues to be, very painful for the woman (name omitted) to think about, let alone speak about,” her counterclaims reads.
The woman’s counterclaim, which was filed on Dec. 20, 2020, is for $500,000 in general damages for physical and sexual assault and/or physical sexual battery, and intentional infliction of mental suffering. She is also asking for $250,000 in aggravated and punitive damages.
“Given that this matter is before the courts we are not in a position to provide detailed comment,” said Bullock’s lawyer, Jeffrey Ayotte. “We can, however, state that our client stands by everything in his statement of claim and he looks forward to the truth being proven in court.”
None of the allegations in Bullock’s statement of claim or the woman’s statement of defence and counterclaim have been tested in court. Both parties deny the claims made against each other. A publication ban over the woman’s identity in the criminal matter remains in place.
During the first alleged sexual assault, the woman claims Bullock entered her dorm room uninvited on or around Sept. 3, 2017, and threw her down on her bed and began initiating sexual contact.
“Adam shoved the woman’s (name omitted) face into a pillow, held her down, and forcefully raped her,” the statement of defence reads, adding that at no time did the woman consent. “Adam sexually abused and assault the woman (name omitted) and continued to do so despite her explicit statement that she did not consent and her subsequent repeated insistence that Adam stop.”
Following the alleged sexual assault, university security was notified and friends drove the woman to the hospital.
According to the statement of defence, nurses conducted a rape kit and determined the woman had suffered a significant amount of bruising and visible trauma.
Further, the statement of defence says the woman had weekly followup appointments for a month with at Women’s Healthcare Centre.
“As a result of being sexually assaulted by Adam, the woman (name omitted) had to begin a round of medication to reduce the possibility of pregnancy and sexual transmitted diseases,” the statement reads.
To conceal the alleged sexual assault, the woman alleges Bullock used various threats and insidious measures to ensure the woman did not disclose what happened.
“He told her he could ruin her reputation,” the counterclaim says, adding that due to his position with the university’s Emergency First Response Team, he had access to her personal information and had access to every room on campus.
“He told her that he could come back at any time,” the counterclaim alleges.
As a result, the claim says the woman occasionally responded to Bullock’s messages because she feared that “Adam would return to her room and rape her again.”
According to the claim, Bullock returned on or around Sept. 24, 2017, and initiated a forceful and unwanted sexual interaction.
After the alleged sexual assault, the woman says she could no longer live in fear of Bullock, and blocked him on all messaging and social media services.
Initially hesitant, the woman eventually decided to report what happened to the Peterborough Police Service in December 2017.
The woman says she did not name Bullock at that time because she feared retribution. However, the woman says she felt comfortable telling police four months later, in April 2018, because she would no longer be living on campus.
Police charged Bullock in January 2019 with sexual assault and breaking and entering. Seven months later, those charges were withdrawn against Bullock at the request of the Crown in provincial court.
According to Bullock’s claim, this conclusion was reached once his legal counsel disclosed Snapchat messages showing the woman knew Bullock during the month of September, and continued to have some sort of relationship with him.
However, the woman says the charges were withdrawn because she repeatedly told the detective she would not testify at the trial.
“She did not want to relive the events that had occurred, she did not want to see Adam again, and she did not want to feel as though she herself was on trial,” the counterclaim reads.
Further, the woman says Bullock’s statement of claim is being pursued to discourage public disclosure on matters of public interest, and in particular, the woman’s lived experiences of sexual abuse on university campus.