Police nab man at airport in sexual assault case

A fight for justice has paid off after an alleged abuser was arrested as he returned to Canada, says a University of Ottawa student who went public to protest police dismissing her sexual assault complaint as a “misunderstanding.”

The student, whose name is protected by a publication ban, made an emotional post on social media Thursday.

“After getting sexually assaulted in September, and going through a lot of trouble with the police department, the justice system, and society in general, my abuser was arrested yesterday, on August 10th,” she wrote.

City police confirmed that Ayham Aloulabi, 27, was arrested Wednesday at the Ottawa International Airport. He is to appear in court Aug. 22 on charges of sexual assault and overcoming resistance by attempting to choke. The charges have not been proven in court.

“Let’s hope for the best,” she wrote. “Perseverance finally came a long way for me, even after I had lost all hopes. Let’s all keep fighting together and one day, most cases like mine will find justice.”

Charges were laid in December 2015, months after the 18-year-old reported being sexually assaulted at a party, but Aloulabi was no longer in Canada.

In September 2015, she reported that she’d been sexually assaulted at a party, alleging she’d been choked, raped and spat on. She went to the hospital where she had a rape-kit test and her bruises documented.

In November, police informed her that the case was closed because the suspect thought it had been consensual, she said.

She went public, a friend started an online petition and the police soon issued a statement saying that the investigation would continue.

“The conclusions of the investigator may have been premature, as not all investigative avenues have been exhausted,” police said.

“I’m really happy that he ended up coming back,” the young woman, who has not yet turned 19, said in an interview Friday evening. “Now something is actually being done.”

She is worried about the possibility of testifying in court but has no regrets about her decision to speak out.

“I know that I was able to help other women,” she said. “I had to fight for my rights.”