Courthouse: Ontario Court of Justice Hamilton
Counsel: Natalia Pawlowski
Date of Judgment: August 21, 2025
Background:
Mr. C was charged with 15 counts in total – 5 each of sexual assault, sexual interference, and invitation to sexual touching. The complainant was his niece, who resided with his family over the span of about 6 years.
The Issue:
At the time of the allegations, Mr. C was an adult, while the complainant was between 10 and 16 years old. The allegations against Mr. C were incredibly serious and, had he been convicted, would have carried a punishment of many years in custody. The complainant alleged that she had a full sexual relationship with Mr. C, her uncle, over the span of several years, while they remained living in the same home. The trial lasted 5 days and covered dozens of alleged incidents and patterns of behaviour that were suggested to have occurred near daily. Counsel Natalia Pawlowski represented Mr. C.
The Result:
After preparation by Ms. Pawlowski, Mr. C testified in this case in his own defence. The court determined that it could not disbelieve his firm denials of all allegations. The Court found several inconsistencies in the allegations of the complainant, and agreed with counsel that many of the allegations were implausible and simply logically could not have occurred as they were described. Mr. C was found not guilty of all 15 counts against him.