Halifax judge made many errors in cabbie sex-assault case, Crown says in appeal
HALIFAX — The Crown will appeal the acquittal of a Halifax cab driver accused of sexually assaulting an intoxicated woman in his taxi, Nova Scotia’s prosecution service announced Tuesday as hundreds gathered to protest the judge’s ruling.
Public prosecutions deputy director Denise Smith said Judge Gregory Lenehan made multiple legal mistakes when he found 40-year-old Bassam Al-Rawi not guilty.
The provincial court judge ruled last Wednesday the Crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the woman did not consent to sexual activity — a decision that has prompted protests and much debate over how the courts handle such sensitive cases.
“We have conducted a legal analysis of the judge’s decision and have concluded there is a solid basis to appeal the ruling,” Smith said in a statement Tuesday.