A Colwood woman was sentenced to five and a half years in jail for sexually assaulting and luring a 15-year-old boy.
Judge Ted Gouge sentenced the woman, referred to as Ms. P, to two separate two-year jail sentences for sexual assault, and one 18-month jail term for internet luring, on Wednesday (Sept. 14). All of the sentences are to be served consecutively.
Gouge wrote in the sentencing decision that the suffering of the victim is the key factor in determining the seriousness of the crime. Gouge said that in this case, the victim’s impact statement made it clear how badly impacted he has been by the incident.
“It is necessary to reject the stereotype that teenage boys are less vulnerable to the (impacts) of sexual assault than are teenage girls. (The) victim’s impact statement effectively refutes any such proposition.”
Gouge did write that he was concerned about the impact the jail sentence would have on Ms. P’s son, but determined that wasn’t a good enough reason to reduce the sentence. Gouge added Ms. P’s expression of remorse was unconvincing and that she repeatedly blamed the victim for lying about his age.
The incidents took place in April 2020. One evening, the victim along with two friends, visited the house of Ms. P, having agreed to swap cannabis for alcohol. The group partied in the house and during the evening, Ms. P had sex with the 15-year-old, Gouge outlined, leading to the first count of sexual assault.
On a separate occasion, Ms. P invited the victim to her house for a “hot make-out sesh.” The pair had sex, leading to the second count of sexual assault as well as the charge of internet luring.
Ms. P was convicted on Nov. 24, 2021. In his sentencing decision, read at the Western Communities Courthouse, Gouge said the victim was not legally able to consent, so it did not matter whether or not he agreed to the activities, which Gouge found he did.
Another woman was acquitted of sexually assaulting the other boys because her age couldn’t be determined. However, Ms. P was known to be more than five years older than the 15-year-old.
In Canada, the legal age of consent is 16. Exceptions are made for youth aged 14 or 15, who can consent to sexual activity with someone less than five years older, and 12 or 13-year-olds, who can consent to sexual activity with someone less than two years older.
READ MORE: Colwood woman convicted of sexually assaulting, luring 15-year-old boy
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