R. v. Chisholm (G.), (1997) 27 O.T.C. 356 (GD)

• Judge: Hill, J.
• Court: Ontario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
• Case Date: April 09, 1997
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: (1997), 27 O.T.C. 356 (GD)

R. v. Chisholm (G.) (1997), 27 O.T.C. 356 (GD)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [1997] O.T.C. TBEd. MY.034

Her Majesty The Queen v. George Chisholm

(Court File No: M730/94)

Indexed As: R. v. Chisholm (G.)

Ontario Court of Justice

General Division

Central West Region

Hill, J.

April 9, 1997.

Summary:

The accused was charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation. The complainant was his 14 year old babysitter. The Crown applied to admit expert evidence respecting the complainant's failure to immediately disclose the alleged assault to her mother and the impact or effects of the assault upon the complainant.

The Ontario Court (General Division) dismissed the motion.

Criminal Law - Topic 693

Sexual offences - Evidence - Recent fabrication of complaint - See paragraphs 1 to 98.

Evidence - Topic 2265

Special modes of proof - Judicial notice - Particular matters - Human conduct - Reaction of others - See paragraph 56.

Evidence - Topic 7053

Opinion evidence - Expert evidence - Particular matters - Psychiatric evidence - See paragraphs 1 to 98.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Mohan, [1994] 2 S.C.R. 9; 166 N.R. 245; 71 O.A.C. 241; 89 C.C.C.(3d) 402, refd to. [para. 49].

R. v. Field, [1990] O.J. No. 2779 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 56].

R. v. Parnell (S.D.) (1995), 80 O.A.C. 297 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 56].

R. v. Désaulniers (L.) (1994), 65 Q.A.C. 81; 93 C.C.C.(3d) 371 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused, [1995] 1 S.C.R. vii; 185 N.R. 159, refd to. [para. 56].

R. v. Hill, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 313; 68 N.R. 161; 17 O.A.C. 33; 25 C.C.C.(3d) 322, refd to. [para. 59].

R. v. Corbett, [1988] 1 S.C.R. 670; 85 N.R. 81; 64 C.R.(3d) 1; 41 C.C.C.(3d) 385; 28 B.C.L.R.(2d) 145, refd to. [para. 59].

R. v. François (L.), [1994] 2 S.C.R. 827; 169 N.R. 241; 73 O.A.C. 161; 91 C.C.C.(3d) 289, refd to. [para. 60].

R. v. F. (1995), 83 A. Crim. R. 502 (C.C.A., N.S.W.), refd to. [para. 61].

R. v. C. (1993), 70 A. Crim. R. 384 (C.C.A., South Aust.), refd to. [para. 62].

Commonwealth v. Dunkle (1992), 602 A.2d 830 (Pa.), refd to. [para. 63].

R. v. W.K.L., [1991] 1 S.C.R. 1091; 124 N.R. 146; [1991] 4 W.W.R. 385; 64 C.C.C.(3d) 321; 6 C.R.(4th) 1; 4 C.R.R.(2d) 298, refd to. [para. 65].

R. v. McCraw, [1991] 3 S.C.R. 72; 128 N.R. 299; 49 O.A.C. 47; 66 C.C.C.(3d) 517, refd to. [para. 65].

R. v. O'Connor (P.) (1995), 84 O.A.C. 113; 100 C.C.C.(3d) 285 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused [1996] 1 S.C.R. viii; 203 N.R. 80; 93 O.A.C. 400, refd to. [para. 66].

R. v. Roos (H.R.), [1993] O.J. No. 668 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 66].

State v. Jensen (1988), 432 N.W.2d 913 (Wis.), refd to. [para. 66].

R. v. G.R.V. (1996), 76 B.C.A.C. 72; 125 W.A.C. 72 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 67].

R. v. Munroe (G.) (1994), 51 B.C.A.C. 174; 84 W.A.C. 174 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 67].

R. v. Falkenberg (S.R.) (1995), 165 A.R. 16; 89 W.A.C. 16; 95 C.C.C.(3d) 307 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused [1995] 2 S.C.R. vi; 191 N.R. 400; 178 A.R. 371; 110 W.A.C. 371, refd to. [para. 67].

People v. Meachan (1984), 199 Cal. Rptr. 586 (App. 2 Dist.), refd to. [para. 67].

R. v. Fitzpatrick, [1997] O.J. No. 290 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 69].

R. v. Chattha (P.) (1997), 97 O.A.C. 316 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 69].

R. v. Clark (R.T.) (1995), 87 O.A.C. 178 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 69].

R. v. E.L.H. (1990), 100 N.S.R.(2d) 1; 272 A.P.R. 1; 2 C.R.(4th) 187 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 69].

R. v. Valentine, [1996] 2 Cr. App. R. 213 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 69].

R. v. G.B. et al. (No. 2), [1990] 2 S.C.R. 30; 111 N.R. 31; 86 Sask.R. 111; 56 C.C.C.(3d) 200; 77 C.R.(3d) 347, affd. (1988), 65 Sask.R. 134 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. Marquard (D.), [1993] 4 S.C.R. 223; 159 N.R. 81; 66 O.A.C. 161; 85 C.C.C.(3d) 193, refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

K.M. v. H.M., [1992] 3 S.C.R. 6; 142 N.R. 321; 57 O.A.C. 321; 96 D.L.R.(4th) 289, refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. D.R., H.R. and D.W., [1996] 2 S.C.R. 291; 197 N.R. 321; 144 Sask.R. 81; 124 W.A.C. 81; 107 C.C.C.(3d) 289, refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. Burns (R.H.), [1994] 1 S.C.R. 656; 165 N.R. 374; 42 B.C.A.C. 161; 67 W.A.C. 161; 89 C.C.C.(3d) 193, refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. Russell (W.D.) (1994), 77 O.A.C. 59 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. Quesnel (P.A.), [1994] O.J. No. 2927 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. Fair (J.E.) (1993), 67 O.A.C. 251; 85 C.C.C.(3d) 457 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. F.E.J. (1990), 36 O.A.C. 348; 53 C.C.C.(3d) 64 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

Khan v. College of Physicians and Surgeons (Ont.) (1992), 57 O.A.C. 115; 76 C.C.C.(3d) 10 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. Norman (D.L.) (1993), 68 O.A.C. 22; 87 C.C.C.(3d) 153 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. L.G. (1993), 68 O.A.C. 233 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. Taylor (1986), 18 O.A.C. 219; 31 C.C.C.(3d) 1 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. D.B.T. (1994), 71 O.A.C. 233 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. R.A.C. (1990), 57 C.C.C.(3d) 522 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. G.C. (1996), 144 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 204; 451 A.P.R. 204; 110 C.C.C.(3d) 233 (Nfld. C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. R.M. (1994), 189 N.R. 243; 90 C.C.C.(3d) 415 (Que. C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. Jacobson (R.H.) (1993), 37 B.C.A.C. 272; 60 W.A.C. 272 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

R. v. LeBlanc (Louis) (1992), 125 N.B.R.(2d) 57; 316 A.P.R. 57; 71 C.C.C.(3d) 527 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 71, footnote 3].

R. v. Meisner (1992), 110 N.S.R.(2d) 270; 299 A.P.R. 270 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 71, footnote 3].

R. v. Wakabayashi, [1996] O.J. No. 1410 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 71, footnote 3].

R. v. Villamar, [1996] O.J. No. 2742 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 71, footnote 3].

R. v. Musson, [1995] O.J. No. 3847 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 71, footnote 3].

R. v. Olscamp (1995), 95 C.C.C.(3d) 466 (Ont. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 71, footnote 3].

R. v. H.P., [1992] O.J. No. 1536 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 71, footnote 3].

R. v. Wright, [1989] O.J. No. 939 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 71, footnote 3].

State v. Cressey (1993), 628 A.2d 696 (N.H.), refd to. [para. 80].

People v. Bledsoe (1984), 681 P.2d 291 (Cal.), refd to. [para. 82].

State v. J.Q. (1991), 599 A.2d 172 (N.J. Super. A.D.), refd to. [para. 82].

State v. Cressey (1993), 696 A.2d 696 (N.H.), refd to. [para. 82].

State v. Gokey (1990), 574 A.2d 766 (Vt.), refd to. [para. 82].

R. v. Pascoe (D.P.) (1997), 96 O.A.C. 337 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 91].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Askowitz, L.R., Restricting the Admissibility of Expert Evidence in Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions: Pennsylvania Takes It to the Extreme (1992), 47 Un. of Miami L.R. 201 [para. 81, footnote 4].

Cohen, A., The Unreliability of Expert Testimony on the Typical Characteristics of Sexual Abuse Victims (1985), 74 Georgetown L.J. 429 [para. 81, footnote 4].

Conte, J.R., Sorenson, E., Fogarty, L., and Rosa, J.D., Evaluating Children's Reports of Sexual Abuse: Results From a Survey of Professionals (July 1991), American Orthopsychiatric Association 428 [para. 47, footnote 1].

Hensley, K.L., The Admissibility of "Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome" in California Criminal Courts (1986), 17 Pacific L.J. 1361 [para. 81, footnote 4].

Kendall-Tackett, K., Williams, L.M. and Finkelhor, D., Impact of Sexual Abuse on Children: A Review and Synthesis of Recent Empirical Studies (1993), 113 Psychological Bulletin 164 [para. 47, footnote 1].

Myers, J.E., Expert Testimony in Child Sexual Abuse Litigation (1989), 68 Neb. L.R. 1 [para. 81, footnote 1].

Paciocco, D., The Evidence of Children: Testing the Rules Against What We Know (1996), 21 Queen's L.J. 345, pp. 349, 350 [para. 54].

Paciocco, D., Judicial Notice, Experts & Inferences (1995), 2 S.O.L.R. 81-85 [para. 56].

Paciocco, D., Case Comment, R. v. Wakabayashi: The Relevance of Expert Evidence of Psychological Characteristics of Sexual Abuse on the Credibility of Child Witnesses (1996), 2 S.O.L.R. 153, pp. 154, 155 [para. 97].

Slack, S. and Ridley, C., Expert Testimony in Child Sexual Abuse Cases, [1994] New Hampshire Bar J. 21 [para. 81, footnote 4].

Weissman, H.N., Forensic Psychological Examination of the Child Witness in Cases of Alleged Sexual Abuse (Jan. 1991), American Orthopsychiatric Association 48 [para. 47, footnote 1].

Counsel:

K. Livingstone, for the Crown;

N. Kozloff and C. Sherrin, for the accused.

This motion was heard on April 1 and 2, 1997, by Hill, J., of the Ontario Court (General Division), who released the following decision on April 9, 1997.