Man charged after police determine victim was too intoxicated to consent

Kingston Police have arrested a 20-year-old local male in relation to a sexual assault that took place in late February.

On Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, the accused male contacted the female victim, who’d met the accused through a friend. The two agreed to meet up and attended a small party on Division Street, according to a press release from Kingston Police.

In the early morning hours the next day, the victim woke up at the accused’s residence, but she could not remember how she’d gotten there. The victim then discovered the accused had sexually assaulted her, and went to the the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence clinic at Kingston General Hospital.

The incident was later reported to the police, who opened up an investigation. That investigation revealed the victim was too intoxicated to form consent.

Kingston Police reached the accused by phone on Sunday, Jul. 1 and informed him of the grounds for his arrest. The accused turned himself in at police Headquarters, where we was arrested and held to attend a bail hearing.

The 20-year-old male was subsequently charged with sexual assault.

Police released the following reminder for the public:

Kingston Police want to let victims of sexual assault know that it is their choice to disclose the incident to police. If you have been sexually assaulted or abused and are uncertain what to do, please attend the hospital and see the caring and compassionate staff at the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence clinic (SADV). The staff can help you with counselling and coping strategies in addition to providing testing for sexually transmitted diseases and providing access to HIV medication. If you are willing, the staff will also complete the sexual assault evidence kit. Evidence can be collected up to twelve days following a sexual assault. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible for DNA evidence to be obtained from clothing after it has been washed. Your confidentiality is guaranteed and police will only be contacted by the hospital if you request it at the time. The SADV clinic will store the contents of the kit for a preliminary period of six months, which offers a victim time to gather information on the process and decide on how they want to proceed.