Aggravated Sexual Assault
Sexual Assault is any assault of a sexual nature and is a serious criminal offence in Canada. Aggravated Sexual Assault involves wounding, maiming, disfiguring, or endangering life during the assault. Penalties can include life imprisonment, reflecting the seriousness of the offence.
What is Sexual Assault?
Sexual Assault is defined as an assault of a sexual nature. In the Canadian criminal justice system, Sexual Assault charges are among the most serious allegations an individual can face. If convicted, in addition to potential jail time, a stigmatizing criminal record may follow the offender for life.
What is Aggravated Sexual Assault?
The crime of Aggravated Sexual Assault occurs when a sexual assault wounds, maims, disfigures or endangers the life of the complainant. A wound is an injury that involves breaking the skin. To maim is to deprive a person of the use of some part of the body by wounding.
“Wound” refers to an injury to the skin that causes bleeding. “Maiming” refers to an injury that makes an individual less able to fight or otherwise function. For example, maiming may include injuries such as broken bones. To “disfigure” refers to an injury that is more than temporary. “Endangerment” refers to the consequence of wounds, maiming or disfigurement. It is not necessary to have the intention to wound, maim or injure the complainant. It may be sufficient to establish an objective foresight of the risk of bodily harm.
What is the penalty for Aggravated Sexual Assault?
This offence is punishable by a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. There are also minimum sentences of incarceration, which vary depending on the circumstances of the offence.