TORONTO — A Toronto Superior Court judge told a sexual assault victim it would be “very unfair” to her attacker to lift a publication ban so she could name him publicly, then handed down a sentence the judge himself described as very low.The victim, Susan Gilbreath, asked during sentencing to have the publication ban removed on her name after her ex-boyfriend was convicted of violently sexually assaulting her. Superior Court Justice Gillian Roberts responded that lifting the ban would be “very unfair” to the attacker.The attacker received a 3.5-year sentence for aggravated sexual assault, which Justice Roberts herself characterized the sentence as “very low.” He was released on bail pending appeal despite his admission of guilt.Gilbreath told the Toronto Star she was in disbelief. “Are we protecting the victim? Or are we protecting the perpetrator?” she asked.Publication bans under the Criminal Code are intended to protect the identity of complainants in sexual offence cases. Victims can request they be lifted. Gilbreath has said she followed the process — including medical examination and trial preparation — only to see limited accountability at sentencing.
