Girl had to fondle mother, boyfriend, court told

10-year-old testifies at woman's sex assault trial

Paula McCooey, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Thursday, April 26, 2007

A mother is on trial this week, accused of forcing her young daughter to fondle her and her boyfriend over five years.

The 38-year-old woman sat in court yesterday morning, blotting her eyes with tissue, as a taped police interview was played. During the interview, an officer with the Ottawa police sexual assault and child abuse unit asked the woman's 10-year-old daughter about the allegations, which include two counts of sexual assault, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching, between 2001 and 2006.

A publication ban on all names has been imposed to protect the identity of the child.

Det. Theresa Kelm asked the girl about the allegations raised by the girl's father, who learned of the alleged incidents through the girl's seven-year-old sister.

Asked how the girl felt when her mother's friend used to come over, the girl replied "not good."

She later described scenarios in which her mother would call her from her bedroom, into the living room, where the woman would be with the man, who would be naked.

"Has anyone ever asked you to touch a man's private part?" Det. Kelm asked the girl. She replied "yes" and said her "mom" asked her to. Despite the fact she told her mother she didn't want to do the act, and that she felt scared, she was forced to do it, she said.

When the officer assured her she did nothing wrong, the girl provided more detail, and said her mother guided her hand to masturbate the man who would eventually ejaculate.

"She grabbed my hand and makes me do it," said the girl, in a quiet voice.

The girl said at times she would be sleeping in her bedroom and her mother would yell out to her to perform the act.

"What does she say?" asked Det. Kelm.

"She says 'come and do it,'" replied the girl.

When asked about the incidents with her mother, the girl said "she made me touch her and her whole body," referring to her mother's genital as her "penis."

The girl told the officer she had never been touched in a "bad" way.

The girl said the incidents happened at her home, usually after school, while her younger sister was in another room. She said her mother told her not to tell anyone about what was happening because her friends would make fun of her.

During the interview, the girl did not tell the officer about the incidents right away.

"First I forgot about it," she said, adding "It feels uncomfortable because it is not a good thing to do."

Asked in the interview how it felt to talk about the incidents now, the little girl said "A little good."

The trial continues today.