Sex assault survivor happy with Supreme Court ruling

A Saskatchewan sex assault survivor says she’s happy with the decision handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada in her case.

Last Friday, the highest court in the country considered an order for a new trial in the case, which had been granted by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. However, the Supreme Court overruled that decision and sent the case back to the Court of Appeal to consider other arguments from the accused.

“I felt really good, I felt really happy and grateful for it,” Alexis Kolody said about the ruling.

She was sexually assaulted in Regina in 2017. She’d been at a party and went upstairs and fell asleep. When she woke up she was being sexually assaulted.

Awet Mehari was convicted and sentenced for that assault in 2019, but he appealed the decision. Earlier this year the Court of Appeal ordered a new trial, agreeing that the trial judge put “undue” scrutiny on his testimony and not hers.

“There was a lot of emotions, you know. Obviously I was initially happy and super grateful (the initial decision) fell in my favour that way, and then when Awet and his defence filed that appeal, obviously I was a little bummed out and upset, but I knew that was his right,” said Kolody.

She said she’s “super happy” with the Supreme Court’s decision, although she didn’t know the case could be sent back to the Court of Appeal. That ruling caught her off guard, but she said she feels confident.

Kolody is one of few people who get the publication ban on their names removed — a ban is automatically put on anything that can identify the victim in a sexual assault case. Kolody said it wasn’t always her plan, but she decided to have it removed so she could speak out.

“This is a great opportunity to speak up and show other people there’s no shame in the victim or survivor point of view. The shame should always be on the predator or the person who’s harmed you,” said Kolody.

However, Kolody said she doesn’t want other survivors who see her or hear her on the news to think that it has been easy for her, or that they’re not strong if they don’t come forward.

Kolody said she doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to close the chapter on the assault.

“I truly think that this assault has kind of made me the person I am today. It has made me a stronger person, and to be able to speak out, be more confident in who I am. I completely changed who I am, so I feel like it’ll never completely be closed,” said Kolody.