Sex Assault Claim a "Crock," Ex-pastor's Lawyer Says

By Tracy McLaughlin
Toronto Sun
January 19, 2012

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/01/19/sex-assault-claim-a-crock-ex-pastors-lawyer-says

Pastor Jae-Kap Song. (THE KOREA TIMES DAILY)

ORANGEVILLE - A woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by a cultish pastor who told her she was invaded by evil spirits was lying, a defence lawyer charged Thursday.

Jae-Kap Song, 57, an Orangeville grocer and once pastor of the now closed Jesus First Church, near Steeles and Islington Aves., is on trial for sexually assaulting a member of his congregation - a former university student from Korea who came to Canada on a student visa.

“She is doing everything she can to discredit Pastor Song” insisted defence lawyer Christophe Preobrazenski in closing arguments in Orangeville Superior Court.

During the trial the woman, 30, who can not be identified, wept as she testified how Song told her she was possessed by evil spirits and that she might turn into a hunch-back. She said he told her he must examine her naked body to see if her skin was turning green at her Orangeville apartment while her husband was sleeping on Valentines Day 2010. He then penetrated her with his fingers, she said. She said Song was a man of power and when he ordered her to take off her clothes she complied even though she was terrified. She said in her culture, the woman must obey.

But Preobrazenski insisted her story is “all a crock,” suggesting the woman conveniently concocted her story on the same day her own husband and eight other members of the largely Korean congregation were charged last March with 485 offences in Toronto – including gang rape and allegations of administering injected rape drugs – all charges were dropped last October.

But Crown attorney Lowell Hunking worked to convince the judge the woman is telling the truth.

“She was recounting that horrific event in her life on February 14,” he said noting how she broke down in the witness box. “She relived that moment.”

The Crown noted the woman is a highly educated, intellectual woman.

“She was clear in her evidence. Virtually unscathed.”

On the other hand, said the Crown, the accused Song wavered on the stand “rarely giving a yes or no answer – and sometimes even refused to answer the questions.”

In an odd twist of events, just before closing arguments began, both Crown and Defence admitted the existence of a video surveillance tape that shows another woman, possibly in a drugged state, running around with no clothes on other than socks and boots at the apartment building on the same day of the alleged sex assault. Little was made of the video, other than its existence.

“It’s just sort of weird,” said Preobrazenski outside of court.

Justice Katherine van Rensburg will announce her verdict Feb. 9.