Crown appeals Vancouver Island sexual-assault case tossed over ‘unreasonable’ delays

Crown prosecutors in British Columbia have filed an appeal in a sexual-assault case that was tossed out over unreasonable delays last month.The accused, who is only identified by his initials because of a publication ban, was charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm and assault involving two alleged victims after he was arrested in July 2023.Provincial Court Judge Ted Gouge ruled in Duncan last month that the delays in the trial were beyond the 18-month “presumptive ceiling” set by the Supreme Court of Canada in provincial criminal prosecutions.