The woman whose allegations of sexual assault against Steven Galloway ended his career in academia will not testify and will not offer any evidence in a defamation case launched by the bestselling author, the trial in B.C. Supreme Court heard as it opened this morning.
Arden Beddoes, lawyer for the woman – whose name is under a pretrial publication ban – told court he will not be relying on the defences of truth or fair comment as his client refutes Mr. Galloway’s allegations.
Mr. Beddoes said in an e-mail to The Globe and Mail late Sunday night that the woman, known as A.B., is not testifying “for reasons pertaining to her own welfare.”
Instead, he told the court Monday morning, A.B. will contest the evidence provided by lawyers for Mr. Galloway, who is scheduled to testify this week.
The trial is scheduled to run for 20 days.
Ex-defendant apologizes to Steven Galloway as defamation trial set to begin
Mr. Galloway was a critically acclaimed novelist and head of the creative writing program at the University of British Columbia when, in 2015, he was accused of sexual assault and sexual harassment by A.B., a student with whom he said he had a consensual relationship. He was never charged criminally and was fired from UBC in 2016.
Over the past decade, the allegations have wound through a UBC review by a retired judge, an arbitration case that saw UBC pay Mr. Galloway damages, and now through the courts as the author pursues the current defamation case. Eleven defendants settled earlier, leaving four remaining.
With a report from Chris Hannay
More to come.