Close X
Sunday, October 6, 2024
ADVT 
National

DNA match leads to conviction 22 years after B.C. sexual assault

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 May, 2024 11:12 AM
  • DNA match leads to conviction 22 years after B.C. sexual assault

Police in Metro Vancouver say a DNA match led to a man's arrest and conviction more than 22 years after he broke into a woman's home and sexually assaulted her. 

Richmond RCMP say Christopher Sharafi, also known as Mohammed Mendi Sharafi, was found guilty last October, and in April he was sentenced to five years in prison for the two offences dating back to December 2001.

The Mounties say the victim reported waking up to find a man standing in her room, and he then climbed into her bed and assaulted her as she tried to fight back.

They say in a statement that police collected and submitted DNA evidence for analysis, but the suspect remained unidentified until 2015, when the sample matched a known offender in the national DNA databank.

RCMP say Sharafi had been ordered to provide a DNA sample as part of a previous unrelated conviction and the Mounties' forensic laboratory confirmed the match.

They say Sharafi has now been found guilty of break and enter and sexual assault and sentenced to five years in prison for each offence, to be served concurrently.

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada's Haiti airlift expands to include relatives, residents and charter flight

Canada's Haiti airlift expands to include relatives, residents and charter flight
Canada is expanding its evacuation of citizens from Haiti to include relatives and Canadian permanent residents, starting Wednesday if conditions allow. The government has also arranged for a charter flight for Canadians who pay a market rate to fly between the Dominican Republic and Montreal.

Canada's Haiti airlift expands to include relatives, residents and charter flight

Trudeau announces national school food program to feed 400,000 more kids per year

Trudeau announces national school food program to feed 400,000 more kids per year
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the upcoming federal budget will include a national school food program. Trudeau made the announcement in Toronto today with Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Families Minister Jenna Sudds as part of the Liberal government's pre-budget tour. 

Trudeau announces national school food program to feed 400,000 more kids per year

2 dead in Kelowna shooting

2 dead in Kelowna shooting
RCMP officers in Kelowna, B.C., are investigating after two bodies were found inside a local business following gunshots and a fire. A statement from the Mounties says they were called to the Adams Road area Wednesday afternoon after receiving a report of gunfire and a subsequent blaze at the building. 

2 dead in Kelowna shooting

No April Fool's joke, lots going up on April 1st

No April Fool's joke, lots going up on April 1st
Today marks the first day of changes to multiple taxes and other costs, including the national price on pollution, the federal excise tax on alcohol and the cost to ride some B-C ferries. Across Canada the added carbon price for gasoline will now be 17.6 cents per litre, up 3.3 cents per litre from before.

No April Fool's joke, lots going up on April 1st

Fatal stabbing in Victoria

Fatal stabbing in Victoria
Police in Victoria are investigating after one person was stabbed to death and a second was seriously injured Sunday morning. The department says officers were called to the 700-block of Pandora Avenue at approximately 4 a.m. and found the body of a man.  

Fatal stabbing in Victoria

2 injured in Surrey hit and run

2 injured in Surrey hit and run
Two people were injured in separate hit-and-run crashes early Sunday in Surrey. Police say the first crash involved a Dodge Challenger and a Tesla and the occupants of the Challenger fled the scene on foot.   

2 injured in Surrey hit and run