Dalhousie assault victim recounts suicide attempts

HALIFAX — She was 17 and in her first year of studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax when she met him, an 18-year-old classmate originally from Calgary.

Over the course of 72 hours in September 2015, their budding relationship suddenly ended in acrimony when she accused him of sexually assaulting her after a night of heavy drinking that he says left him with no memory of what happened.

In February, 20-year-old Chris Davidson was found guilty by a jury of sexual assault and unlawful confinement.

On Monday, the victim sobbed as she read from a victim impact statement during Davidson’s sentencing hearing in Nova Scotia Supreme Court, saying she suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder and has attempted suicide twice in the past year.

“When I experience a panic attack, my hands shake and my chest tightens and it feels like I can’t breathe,” said the woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban. “My muscles tense and my heart pounds fast. I become emotional and very afraid.”

She said she has nightmares about the assault and also suffers from depression, anorexia, insomnia, self-mutilation and emotional flashbacks.

During Davidson’s trial, court heard the pair had attended a frat party and later returned to her room, where they drank several vodka shots. They undressed each other and were about to have sex, when Davidson — then 18 — said something about waiting to get married before having intercourse with his girlfriend.

The woman testified that she asked Davidson to stop, but he persisted, later claiming that he blacked out.

Crown attorney Glenn Hubbard is seeking a three-year prison sentence. Defence lawyer William Leahey said his client should spend two years in a federal penitentiary. Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Glen McDougall reserved his decision until today.

In court, the victim said she tried to kill herself in March, a month after the trial ended.

“I felt that I couldn’t carry on after the re-traumatization that happened during my testimony,” she told the court, as members of her family looked on from the public gallery.

The psychological fallout from the assault and the trial has left her feeling emotionally distant, which has cost her several friendships, she said.

Though she has been unable to attend classes, she insisted she will go back to school at some point.

“Mr. Davidson has had a devastating impact on my life … but I have persevered and I stand here, strong, after months of emotional struggles and worsened mental illnesses. I refuse to let this crime stop me from accomplishing all the things I have planned for my life.”

The judge said it was difficult for him to maintain his composure while the woman read from her statement.

“It’s impossible not to be affected by your words and the courage you have shown,” McDougall said. “Don’t let it defeat you. Do your best.”

The Crown cited case law from Alberta, where the “starting point” for a “major sexual assault” sentence is three years, even if the perpetrator has no previous record and demonstrates otherwise good character.

And while it’s true Davidson was severely intoxicated on the night in question, having consumed six or seven shots, his level of drunkenness could not be considered a mitigating factor, he said.

The Crown lawyer said the courts consider rape as act of violence that causes long-lasting damage to the victim and the community.

In his submission, Leahey described the good character of his client, citing 16 letters of support that describe Davidson as a respectful, gracious and good-hearted young man who regularly attended church.

Leahey described the case as a tragedy, saying two young lives have been “blighted by these events.”

“All of this changed ... after both of them became highly intoxicated,” he said.

Leahey said the university should tell other students about the case as a cautionary tale about alcohol abuse.

Davidson declined to address the court.