Alleged victim of sexual abuse tells court she wants peace, as emotional testimony continues

Overwhelmed with emotion, the complainant in a dated sexual abuse trial broke down Tuesday as she completed her testimony in a Sault Ste. Marie courtroom.

The woman wept as she uttered her final words before leaving the witness stand after spending a day and a half telling Superior Court Justice Edward Gareau about incidents she said occurred when she was a child, nearly 40 years ago.

In his re-examination, prosecutor Robert Skeggs asked what she meant when she told the defence one of the reasons she had contacted police in 2016 was because "I couldn't live with this anymore."

She said she was referring to the "shame, feeling guilty about it.

"I thought it was my fault because I never told anybody or made it stop."

Bonaventure Sabourin's accuser said it was in her mind every day "like a movie over and over again" as she struggled to make a good life for herself.

She told the assistant Crown attorney that she needs to find peace.

"I am not trying to hurt nobody. I'm trying to help myself," the complainant said, insisting she doesn't want to harm anyone, including Sabourin.

"All I want is peace. I don't want anything else."

Gareau asked the woman if she was okay, and the court took a 15-minute break.

After the judge left the courtroom, the woman sobbed uncontrollably, as her partner held her in his arms, trying to comfort her.

The third-floor courtroom quickly emptied, but the sounds of her anguish playing out behind closed doors could be heard in the hallways of the courthouse.

Sabourin, 56, of Marathon, has pleaded not guilty to indecent assault.

The charge stems from a series of incidents the complainant testified occurred in the early 1980s in White River, when she was a pre-teen.

Sabourin was 18 to 20 years of age at the time.

A court order prohibits publishing any information that could identify the woman.

Earlier Tuesday, defence lawyer Bruce Willson completed his cross--examination of the complainant, who had detailed three specific incidents she recalled during her testimony Monday.

He questioned her about the people she said in an August 2016 statement to police that she had told something had happened between her and Sabourin.

They included her mother and father (when she was 21), an ex-boyfriend 12 years ago, a niece four years ago, and her current partner eight or nine years ago.

The woman said she spoke "generally" to them about being sexually abused, but shared more with a Thunder Bay clinical psychologist who counselled her.

Willson pointed out that none of these people had been called to testify.

"Not that I'm aware of," she replied.

Willson also questioned why she had never spoken to Sabourin about what she said had occurred even though she had ample opportunity to do so.

"I was never emotionally strong enough," she replied. "It wasn't something I could readily talk about."

On Tuesday, Gareau also heard from the woman's older brother, the Crown's second and final witness.

He testified about occasionally being at the Sabourin family home and hanging out there while their parents went to a bar with their friends.

The man recalled being in a darkened space on the second floor, which had makeshift rooms divided by blankets or tarps.

He said he was in one room, where he had sex with a girl, and Sabourin was with his sister in another room.

"I couldn't see them" because the lights were off, he said, indicating he didn't have any clue what Sabourin and his sister were doing.

The witness said he was in Grade 7 or 8 at the time, and he remembers that night because it was the first time he had sex.

On Monday, the complainant told the court about Sabourin inappropriately touching, fondling and kissing her while they were hiding in a closet on the second-floor of the home.

The trial continues Wednesday with Sabourin expected to take the witness stand.

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