Warning: This story contains details of sexual assault some readers may find disturbing.

The trial of a man accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old continued at Court of Queen’s Bench on Wednesday morning when the alleged victim testified.

Christopher Cameron Duke is accused of sexually assault the child, who was known to him, on July 31, 2019.

Any information about the alleged victim and witnesses that would identify them is subject to a publication ban.

The alleged victim, now 14, said during their testimony that the accused had done sexual things to them.

To start off the testimony, the courtroom watched a video of the police interview with the complainant from the day following the alleged assault in 2019.

In the video, the victim is being interviewed by Corporal Shaunna McKim in a room at Regina’s Children Justice Centre. Cpl. McKim testified in court earlier Wednesday morning.

“He hurt me,” the alleged victim said in the interview when asked why they were speaking with police that day in 2019. They then described what happened during the assault, saying Duke had intercourse with them.

The complainant said Duke did not say anything to them during the incident and that he threw the alleged victim on a bed while he remained standing during the intercourse. They said it lasted about five minutes.

The alleged victim testified that they told their mother about the assault the following day, Aug. 1, 2019, after being encouraged by a sibling to come forward. That is when the police investigation began.

The alleged victim said during testimony their sibling walked into the room during the alleged assault and stood in the door for about one minute. The complainant said at that point, Duke started pretending to tickle the alleged victim.

The alleged victim’s sibling testified earlier in the week that they allegedly witnessed the assault.

Throughout the video interview, the alleged victim recounted several times in the past when they said they were sexually assaulted by Duke in different locations. The complainant said in other instances, Duke had intercourse with them or he had touched the alleged victim’s genitals.

The alleged victim said the first time Duke assaulted them, they were in grade three or four.

After the video was finished, crown prosecutor Leona Andrews questioned the alleged victim. The complainant said everything they stated during that video in 2019 was true.

During cross examination with defence lawyer Chris MacLeod, the complainant explained what they told their mother on the day after the alleged assault.

“I told her that he was touching me inappropriately and that he was doing sexual things,” the alleged victim said.

The alleged victim testified Duke initially denied the allegations to the family, but then changed his stance.

“He was disagreeing and he kept saying he didn’t do anything, until I’m sure he couldn’t take it anymore and then he started telling everyone that he’s sick and that he did it,” the alleged victim said during cross examination. They said that was at the complainant’s house in front of family members and police.

In his final question, MacLeod asked the alleged victim if it was possible that Duke had never actually sexually assaulted them.

“That would be extremely incorrect,” the alleged victim said.

On the first day of the trial, Duke pleaded not guilty to a single count of sexual assault on a person under the age of 16.

POLICE TESTIMONY

Cpl. Shaunna McKim, a 15-year member of the Regina Police Service, was the first witness to testify on Wednesday morning.

At the time of the alleged assault, the officer was an investigator with the Regina Children’s Justice Centre. She was involved in the investigation of this case, which started on Aug. 1, 2019.

The complainant completed a sexual assault kit at the hospital after the alleged incident. In the days following the launch of the investigation, Cpl. McKim said she requested to see the sexual assault kit from the evidence management unit. She said the kit contains 15 items taken from the victim, including a DNA reference sample, anal samples and genital samples all from the alleged victim, as well as the alleged victims underwear.

Cpl. McKim requested DNA samples from the accused to reference with the items in the sexual assault kit. A forensic lab report in early 2020 showed the accused’s DNA matched samples taken from the victim’s genitalia swab.

The sexual assault trial was initially scheduled to last four days but because of a high number of witnesses, the lawyers and Justice Graeme Mitchell expect it to run until Friday, if not longer.

The crown said two police officers and two DNA analysts are expected to testify on Thursday morning.