Sexual assault by former Western University department chair 'left deep scars,' victim tells court

Warning: Story contains graphic language and disturbing content. 

A London courtroom heard an emotional victim-impact statement Wednesday in the case of a once-esteemed Western University professor convicted in November of a workplace sexual assault against a woman he supervised. 

The woman, a lab technician who cannot be named due to a publication ban, told the court of long-lasting physical, emotional and psychological damage after an assault by Ajay Ray, her boss and former chair of university's department of chemical and biochemical engineering. 

Ray was convicted of forcibly penetrating the woman's vagina with his fingers in an assault that happened in the victim's office at the university on July 19, 2016. 

The woman, a married mother, told the court the assault has left her with severe and long-lasting emotional trauma that has affected every aspect of her life.

"I felt completely shocked, unable to move or defend myself," she said about the assault. "I felt shattered and powerless."

The woman, who gave her statement by video link from a separate room in the court building, said the assault has taken away much of the joy in her life. 

"I have become a shadow of the woman I once was," she told the court. "The sexual abuse and assault have left deep scars on my mind and soul affecting every part of my life. It makes it difficult for me to trust, feel safe and see a future free of pain.

"I was a respected professional at the height of my career, the workplace was my source of pride. I was valued and respected. The assault changed everything. The environment has become toxic and hostile." 

The woman's husband also gave a victim-impact statement telling the court that since the assault, his wife often awakens from nightmares and cries out in terror. 

"I am powerless to erase the pain this has caused her," he said. 

The victim-impact statements form part of the submissions Justice Spencer Nicholson will consider in sentencing. 

Assistant Crown attorney Shane Wright told the court he's seeking a jail sentence of 18 months and two years probation for Ray, who is 64 and has no prior convictions. 

Wright argued that a jail sentence is appropriate because Ray was in a position of power over the victim.