Sexual assault includes any non-consensual touching or other physical contact between two persons that has a sexual nature. (Criminal Code section 271.) This offence is very broadly defined. It includes everything from what is traditionally described as “rape” all the way to a “stolen kiss” or a brief grab of a person’s breast or buttocks at a bar.
For non-consensual touching to be a sexual assault instead of just a “regular” assault, there must be a sexual aspect to the physical contact between the accused and the complainant. To determine whether touching has a “sexual” aspect, a court will consider the circumstances of the touching and by the body parts that were touched. Non-consensual touching of a person’s sex organs is usually considered a sexual assault. It is not necessary for the accused to gain any sexual gratification from an act for the act to be a sexual assault.
In order for a person to be convicted of sexual assault, the Crown Prosecutor must prove that the complainant did not consent to the sexual contact. The person must be capable of consenting to the sexual contact, and the consent must be freely given. For example, a person who is too intoxicated to give their consent has not, in law, truly consented.
If the complainant did not give their consent to the sexual contact, an honest but mistaken belief in consent may still be a defence. This “mistaken belief in consent” defence is carefully limited and heavily restricted, however. There is no such thing as “implied consent” in Canadian law – consent to sexual contact must have been communicated to the accused, through the other person’s words or behaviour. And a person cannot rely on a mistaken belief in consent unless they took all reasonable steps, in the circumstances known to them at the time, to find out whether the other person was consenting to the sexual contact.
Because the crime of sexual assault covers such a wide range of acts, the possible penalties for a conviction for sexual assault range from probation all the way up to a lengthy jail term. The maximum penalty for a sexual assault is ten years in jail, while the maximum penalty for aggravated sexual assault is life in prison.
In Alberta, our Court of Appeal has set a “starting point” sentence for a “major” sexual assault. A sexual assault is a “major” sexual assault when a reasonable person could foresee that the assault is likely to cause serious psychological or emotional harm. Sex acts such as penile-vaginal penetration are generally considered to constitute a major sexual assault.
The starting point sentence for a major sexual assault for an adult first-time offender with no criminal record is three years in jail. Likewise, the starting point sentence for a major sexual assault committed by someone in a position of trust or authority against a child is four years in jail.
Because this is simply a starting point for judges to consider when sentencing someone, the sentence can be increased or reduced if there are aggravating or mitigating factors. In general, however, a conviction for a major sexual assault will nearly always attract a lengthy jail sentence. For less serious offences which do not fall into the category of a “major” sexual assault jail still remains a real possibility in most cases.
In addition to sexual assault, the Criminal Code creates a number of other sexual offences, such as:
Many of these sexual offences come with mandatory minimum jail sentences upon conviction, and mandatory orders that a person be listed on the Sex Offenders Registry.
The Canadian government has established a Sex Offenders Registry to track and monitor persons who have been convicted of sexual offences. The Sex Offenders Registry is not public information, and the names and addresses of persons on the registry are not made public. The Registry is used by police officers and certain other organizations to track sex offenders and investigate sexual offences.
The Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA) requires a person on the Sex Offenders Registry to register every year, and to provide the police with certain information, including their addresses, where they are employed, volunteering, or going to school, and any licence plate numbers and descriptions of the vehicles that they use. Persons on the Sex Offender Registry must also notify the police if they expect to be away from one of their registered residences for more than seven days.
If a person is convicted of certain sex offences, a judge is required to order that a person be added to the Sex Offenders Registry. For some offences, the judge only has to make the order if the prosecutor asks that the person be added to the Sex Offenders Registry, but in other cases, the judge has no discretion and must make the order. Examples of offences where a judge must make a Sex Offenders Registry order include sexual assault, sexual interference, and child pornography offences.
Sex Offender Registry orders last for a period of between 10 years to life, depending on the circumstances.
As set out in the Criminal Code, the “age of consent” in Canada is 16 years of age. Once a person turns 16, they are old enough to be able to legally consent to sexual contact with another person.
If a person is 12 or 13 years old, they are legally able to consent to sexual contact with someone who is less than two years older than them, so long as the other person:
Similarly, if a person is 14 or 15 years old, they are legally able to consent to sexual contact with someone who is less than five years older than them, so long as the other person:
If a 14 or 15 year-old is married, they are also able to consent to sexual activity with their husband or wife.
If a person is under age 16 and none of these exceptions apply to that person, it is not a defence to a charge of sexual assault that the under-age person agreed to sexual touching or contact with the accused. For example, even if a 15 year-old agreed to have sex with someone aged 21, in law, the 15 year-old’s “consent” is considered invalid, and the 21 year-old would still be guilty of sexual assault.
You should always consult with a lawyer before you speak with the police about a complaint or allegation of a sexual offence – even if you think you are innocent and even if you have nothing to hide.
The police may tell you that they are simply “looking into an incident,” or that they just “need to get your side of the story.” It is still important that you receive legal advice about your rights and responsibilities before you say anything to the police which could hurt your ability to defend yourself.
If you are currently facing sexual assault charges contact a criminal lawyer at Pringle Chivers Sparks Teskey to discuss your case. Our sound representation and experience as sexual assault lawyers can help you to avoid the severe consequences associated with such offences.