After Mary – not her real name – was sexually assaulted, she didn’t say anything.
It wasn’t until more than two years later that she told police what Paul Chafe had done to her.
Chafe was found guilty of sexual assault in January. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to three months in jail.
The assault itself happened in 2012. Chafe, his girlfriend and Mary were all in Kitchener for a wedding. They had rented an apartment together, with a separate bedroom for Mary.
Court heard that all three friends were intoxicated that night when Chafe snuck into Mary’s room, grabbed her buttocks and gratified himself.
At first, Mary kept the attack to herself. She reasoned that because she had not been outright raped, her attacker’s behaviour might not have qualified as criminal.
More than two years later, a series of high-profile cases changed her mind.
“I learned that it is certainly sexual assault, and it is certainly worthy of being reported,” she told CTV News after Tuesday’s sentencing.
As she dealt with police officers, court personnel and others in the legal system, Mary felt that the people she met were cognizant of what she wanted and what Chafe had done to her.
“It was certainly a tough process, but I felt like I was respected throughout the entire process,” she said.
Chafe will serve his sentence on weekends.
In delivering his sentence, Justice Gerry Taylor say that while he did not believe Chafe would reoffend, he felt the 35 year old hadn’t accepted responsibility for his actions.
Chafe’s lawyer had argued for a conditional discharge. Following the sentence, he said that his client maintains his innocence and plans to appeal the verdict.
With reporting by Nicole Lampa
