Is there someone you know who has been charged for aggravated sexual assault?
Section 273(1) of the Canadian Criminal Code lists off aggravated sexual assault as: every one commits an aggravated sexual assault who, in committing a sexual assault, wounds, maims, disfigures or endangers the life of the complainant.
This means that the person has committed sexual assault against another unwilling individual,with intentional use of force to the point where it either causes harm or threatens to cause harm to the individual. This must be proven by the prosecution in order to actually convict somebody of aggravated sexual assault.
The penalty for this offence is much more extreme than other cases of sexual assault, because of the added factor of causing harm or potentially causing harm. Each case of aggravated sexual assault is treated as an indictable offence, which means that there is almost a guarantee of jail time if found guilty. If it is the case that a firearm was used or if a criminal organization was associated with the offence, then the maximum penalty is life in prison.
Other penalties can include orders to stay away from public parks, playgrounds, and areas where people under 16 are present, if the offence was committed against someone under the age of 16. There could also be an order for fingerprints or registering the offender under a
national or provincial sex offender registry.
This charge can have detrimental consequences to a person, and it is important to seek legal counsel as soon as possible if someone finds themselves with such a charge.
