A 27-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting former University of Ottawa (U of O) student, Mélodie Morin, is scheduled to appear in court for the first time Sept. 12, at the request of his lawyer.
Ayham Aloulabi was charged with sexual assault and overcoming resistance by attempting to choke in December 2015, months after an alleged assault on Morin, 18, in Aloulabi’s apartment. Ottawa police arrested Aloulabi Aug. 10 at the Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport.
Aloulabi, an international student who had been studying at the U of O, returned to Lebanon in the months following the allegations.
Morin said she never expected him to return to Canada, as his lawyer had notified Aloulabi that if he were to do so, he would be arrested.
“I’ve been having nightmares every night since I knew that he was back in Canada,” Morin said. “Now I’m going to have a chance at seeing justice. But on the other hand, I’m pretty nervous . . . if he doesn’t end up getting charged . . . he’s still going to be in Ottawa.”
Shortly after the alleged assault, Morin said she went to the Ottawa police and the Ottawa Civic Hospital, where a rape kit was administered for her injuries, including bruising to her face and neck.
The lead detective on her file contacted Morin in November 2015 to notify her that the case had been closed because the accused had told police the sex had been consensual.
According to Morin, the detective told her it was a “misunderstanding.”
This is when, Morin said, she realized the Ottawa police were not prepared to support her as a victim of sexual assault.
“If I were to go through a sexual assault again, I would not go to the police. I don’t want to discourage women from reporting their assault because I think that’s still really important,” she said. “But . . . I absolutely would not go through that hell again.”
According to the Ottawa Police 2015 Annual Report, the Ottawa Police Service is working on updating a new “Standard Operational Procedure” and training manuals, to “improve officers’ abilities and awareness on how to effectively respond to incidents of sexual assault or abuse.” The report said the Ottawa police will take part in an ongoing project to “seek input from the community” to establish protocols and best-practice standards.
To protest the Ottawa police department’s decision to close the case, one of Morin’s friends created an online petition that described her story and demanded justice. Shortly after, Morin went public with her case.
The police contacted Morin in December, telling her the case had been reopened and charges had been laid against Aloulabi, according to multiple news reports.
Morin said if Aloulabi does not plead guilty at his court appearance on Sept. 12, the case could continue to trial. She said she is prepared to testify in court if necessary.
“I wouldn’t want to see him. And that’s part of all the nightmares I’ve had. I keep on imagining myself being in front of him in court or beside him in court and having to look at his face in court, or listen to his voice,” she said. “But I think that at this point, I’m going to do what I have to do.”
Justice of the Peace Louisette Girault granted an adjourned court date to Aloulabi’s defence team at his first scheduled court appearance on Aug. 22 to await ‘disclosure’ from the Crown, meaning information relevant to the case, including police notes, witness statements, or photographs will be presented.
