In Canada, sexual assault is any assault of a sexual nature that violates the sexual integrity of the victim.

Allegations of child sexual assault are serious charges that command hyperbolic headlines and often rip families apart. Such charges often end up isolating the defendant and making legal defences much more difficult.

Child sexual assault is a very serious charge. If you or a loved one is under investigation or prosecution for sexually assaulting a minor, the gravity of the charges – and the potential sentences imposed by courts – make immediate consultation with an experienced and skilled criminal defence lawyer essential.

The age of consent is the age in which a person can legally agree to any sexual activity ranging from kissing and fondling to full sexual intercourse. From 1890 until May 2008, the age of consent was 14 for all non-exploitive sexual activity...

Sexual assault is an unwanted touching of a sexual nature. It is an act in which a person sexually touches another person without their consent. The offence requires that there was an assault and it was of a sexual nature or purpose...

The absence of consent is a matter to be determined on a subjective standard at the time the sexual act occurred. Consent is a question of fact to be determined by the judge or jury based on the totality of the circumstances and the credibility of the complainant...

Sexual assault includes all unwanted sexual activity including intercourse, touching, kissing, grabbing and rubbing. These acts are only legal when both parties consent. Section 273.1(1) of the Criminal Code defines consent as the voluntary agreement to engage in the sexual activity in question...

Like any other criminal offence, the prosecutor must prove certain elements in order to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Sexual assault is established by the proof of: intentional touching, the sexual nature of the contact and the absence of consent...