Sexual-assault charges dropped

The case of an alleged gang rape of a drugged 16-yearold girl in Pitt Meadows has unravelled as charges of sexual assault were dropped due to lack of evidence.

The alleged attack in September 2010 rocked the Pitt Meadows community, after Mounties claimed a number of men were involved in a sexual assault at a rave party on a rural property.

Police alleged the victim was given a date-rape drug and was conscious, but did not consent to sex during the alleged attack. Video of the incident leaked out to social-media websites.

Online comments from youths who provided conflicting accounts of the incident riled the alleged victim’s family and the community.

On Tuesday, in Port Coquitlam Provincial Court, a charge was stayed against a 19-year-old man, the only person who was accused of sexual assault in the case. The Crown eventually judged that evidence did not support a substantial likelihood of conviction, Criminal Justice Branch spokesman Neil Mackenzie said.

One teen has admitted to recording the incident on his mobile phone. A judge ordered the boy to write an apology to the alleged victim and compose an essay on the pros and cons of social media. Another man was charged with making child pornography with the intention to distribute it. He will be back in court in May.