Not guilty! Jian Ghomeshi, the disgraced ex-CBC radio host charged of abusing three women, was acquitted of four counts of sexual assault on March 24.
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Ghomeshi’s trial began on February 1, 2016 – the five charges included four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking.
Ghomeshi embraced his mother and sister.
Judge William Horkins announced his ruling today in the Ontario Court of Justice. “There’s the information that was withheld or was lied about, then there is, was that information really relevant to whether we believe they’ve been sexually assaulted or not”, she said.
Prosecutor Michael Callaghan said his office would consider its options after studying the verdict.
“Ghomeshi guilty!” Topless protester outside the courthouse amid the Crown’s remarks before being tackled to the ground and handcuffed by police. She also told police that she only saw Ghomeshi in passing afterward, but the defense proved otherwise. I am forced to conclude that it is impossible for the Court to have sufficient faith in the reliability or sincerity of these complainants. “Jian is not a symbol to us but a beloved brother and son”, she said.
“The charges that were before the court in this trial and the judge’s ruling are unrelated to our decision to end Jian Ghomeshi’s employment with CBC. She said that her emails were sent as “bait” to try to draw out Mr. Ghomeshi to contact her directly so that she could confront him with what he had done to her”. Ghomeshi posts a detailed statement on Facebook saying CBC fired him because of his sexual preferences.
Women’s advocacy groups contend that it is, citing the national conversation that erupted when allegations against Ghomeshi first surfaced in 2014. “We stand by this decision”. “Yet the women were put on trial”.
Afterwards, protesters chanted “we believe survivors” outside the courthouse.
Some said the complainants were unfairly scrutinized by Ghomeshi’s lawyer, who used correspondence between the complainants and Ghomeshi following the alleged assaults to contradict their testimony and undermine their credibility. On the same day, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair says there is no investigation underway against Ghomeshi, adding someone must lodge a formal complaint in order for a probe to be launched.
The 48-year-old Ghomeshi had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, related to three complainants, who alleged incidents occurred in 2002 and 2003.
A demonstration in support of victims of sexual assault happened after the verdict was read, according to reports on Twitter.
Assuming that an alleged sexual assault victim is telling the truth “is an equally unsafe false assumption”, he said.
All three women made damaging revelations after the trial started.
“Ghomeshi never denied choking + punching the survivors”.
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But in a cross-examination, Ghomeshi’s lawyer produced two emails that showed the woman contacted Ghomeshi twice one year after the alleged assault, including one early-morning email that included a picture of her on the beach in a bikini.
