N.B. RCMP constable testifies, denies charges of sexual assault and breach of trust
CBC
A New Brunswick RCMP officer testified in his own defence on the final day of his trial, denying allegations of assault and sexual assault.
Const. Osama Ibrahim is facing five charges — assault, sexual assault, choking during an assault, using or threatening to use a weapon during an assault, and breach of trust.
The incidents are alleged to have happened in late 2021 and early 2022, when Ibrahim was 27 and the complainant was 16.
Ibrahim, who works with the RCMP in the Woodstock area, pleaded not guilty last December to all five charges.
The trial is taking place in Saint John provincial court.
On Thursday, defence lawyer T.J. Burke took his client through the list of accusations and Ibrahim said each one never happened.
Over four days last month, the girl and her family told the court they met Ibrahim in the summer of 2021 and he soon became close with the family. By January 2022, Ibrahim expressed an interest in marrying the girl.
Although her parents said she was too young to get engaged, they gave Ibrahim permission to court their daughter. She testified that he became abusive and threatening when they were alone.
Ibrahim testified that they were never alone because of his religious and cultural beliefs and claimed the complainant and her father "lied" about her age, telling him she was 18.
The complainant testified in October that Ibrahim would often put his hands around her neck and choke her. Crown prosecutor Christopher Lavigne had showed video in court that he suggested supported the claim. Ibrahim said it didn't happen.
Burke took Ibrahim through a series of videos that show him interacting with the complainant.
When the complainant was shown the videos last month, she described Ibrahim as being pushy and controlling and said he constantly manhandled her.
Shown the same videos on Thursday, Ibrahim said the girl enjoyed their rough physical interactions, calling it "horseplay" and saying that's how they expressed their affection for each other.
He said she enjoyed it and even sought it out.
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