Sexual assault is an act that is sexual in nature, with or without physical contact, committed by an individual without the consent of the victim, or in some cases, through emotional manipulation or blackmail, especially when children are involved. It is an act that subjects another person to the perpetrator’s desires through an abuse of power and/or the use of force or coercion, accompanied by implicit or explicit threats. Sexual assault is an attack on a person’s basic rights, particularly their rights to physical and psychological integrity and to personal security.
This definition applies regardless of the:
We are referring to sexual assault when we use other expressions like:
Sexual assault is unacceptable, regardless of the form it takes, the acts involved, the situation, the relationship between the perpetrator and victim, or the circumstances.
* Criminal Code provides an exception for persons of 14 or 15 years of age. A person of this age may give their consent as long as their partner is:
Twelve- and thirteen-year-olds may consent if their partner is less than two years older than they are and the preceding conditions are met.
