Sexual assault victims say their lives altered forever

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on August 4, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

The lives of three women sexually assaulted by a Lethbridge man between 2018 and 2020 have been forever altered, a judge was told Tuesday in Lethbridge provincial court.

“Not a single day has been easy since this happened,” one of the women wrote in her victim impact statement. “I have recollections of the assault burned into my mind for the rest of my life.”

Sohil Bindra, 36, was found guilty in May of several sex-related offences against the three women, even though during his trial last year he denied the allegations and testified he and the women had consensual liaisons.

During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Crown Prosecutor Dawn Janecke read the women’s victim impact statements, in which they described the aftermath of the assaults and said they still struggle to cope, and even considered suicide.

“There is no pathway to show you how to heal from an experience such as this one,” another woman said in her victim impact statement. “It requires incredible strength just to carry on with life, and I would never wish something so dehumanizing and cruel on anyone.”

The victim said she “debated taking my own life way too many times to count,” but decided to tell her story to show she is regaining her strength one step at a time.

During Bindra’s trial last November and December, one of the women testified Bindra assaulted her in his vehicle in the spring of 2018. He was found guilty of sexual assault and administering a noxious substance in relation to the assault against the woman.

Another woman testified Bindra sexually assaulted her after he gave her and a friend a ride home from a bar in February of 2020. He was found guilty of housebreaking and commit sexual assault, sexual assault and administering a noxious substance in relation to that woman. He also faced a charge of sexual assault – in the form of an unwanted kiss – in relation to the woman’s friend to whom he gave a ride home, but Judge Jerry LeGrandeur said the Crown did not prove the absence of consent and he dismissed that charge.

A fourth woman told court during the trial that she was too drunk to drive home to Taber following a work Christmas party in December of 2018, and was sexually assaulted after Bindra allowed her to stay the night at his westside home. Although Bindra said she was coming onto him, she testified she did not consent and told him no. He was found guilty of administering a noxious substance and sexual assault.

Bindra was also found guilty on two drug charges; one for possessing cocaine and the other for possessing the substance he used to drug the women.

“There were many, many days I had told my mom I wished I could die, and that I didn’t find life worth living,” one of the women wrote in her impact statement to the court. She said she has headaches, struggles to sleep, and when she does sleep she has nightmares.

Another of the victims said she suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and has been unable to keep a job, which has caused numerous financial problems.

“The pain I experienced from this event is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before in my entire life, which has been a life full of trauma and abuse from early childhood. I am unable to live life normally anymore. I’m always anxious and live in fear that something will happen to me again.”

Following Tuesday’s partial sentencing hearing, the matter was adjourned to Oct. 14, at which time the Crown and defence are expected to provide the judge with their respective sentencing submissions.

Calgary lawyer Alain Hepner said he needs time to gather information from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre and Edmonton Remand Centre on the amount and quality of time Bindra has spent in remand, which will impact defence’s submissions to the judge.

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