Trial begins for man accused of water park assault on teens

A teenager testified Monday she was groped by a man while she was swimming during a birthday party at West Edmonton Mall’s water park.

The 15-year-old was the first witness at a provincial court trial of Soleiman Hajj Soleiman, who is charged with six counts of sexual assault and six counts of sexual contact with a child.

Soleiman, 40, was arrested and charged in February 2017 after several teenagers reported being touched by a man in the wave pool, police said. The other teens are expected to be called as witnesses.

After a video of the girl’s interview with police was played in court, the teen testified behind a screen and was supported by a staff member and a therapy dog from the Zebra Child Protection Centre.

The identities of the teenage victims are protected by a courtordered publication ban.

On the evening of Feb. 4, 2017, the girl, then 14, was attending a birthday party with 16 other girls from her soccer team, she said. She was in the wave pool when she heard other girls on her team say someone was touching them. She told court she thought perhaps it was an accident, but then, as a wave hit, a man swam under her and touched her breast and buttocks.

“It was kind of like a grab from behind, and it wasn’t really a passing-by movement,” the teen said in response to questions by Crown prosecutor Laurie Trahan.

She left the area with her friend and went to the slides, but when she returned to the pool later, she said the man approached again and ran his hand across her backside.

It was kind of like a grab from behind, and it wasn’t really a passing-by movement.

“The second time I just turned around and apologized,” the girl said.

“Why did you apologize?” Trahan asked.

“I don’t know. I think I’m just apologetic,” the girl said.

The prosecutor asked if she still thinks she had anything to apologize for.

“No,” the girl said.

When charges were announced, police said Soleiman was arrested after complaints from several teenage girls were made to a lifeguard at the pool.

The trial is scheduled to run until Friday.