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Victim in alleged rape at Pitt Meadows rave appeals for more witnesses

Teenage girl maintains claim she was sexually assaulted.
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A teenage girl who claims she was sexually assaulted at a Pitt Meadows rave in 2010 speaks out after charges against her alleged attacker were stayed.


A day after charges against her alleged attacker were stayed, a teenage girl maintained Wednesday that she was sexually assaulted at a Pitt Meadows rave party in 2010.

"No one, including myself, would let this happen to them willingly," she said, flanked by her father at the South Bonson Community Centre in Pitt Meadows.

"I have often wondered why women never report when they are sexually assaulted. Now I know why. It's a he said, she said thing. I am devastated that this case did not proceed."

Crown entered a stay of proceedings Tuesday against Colton Ashton McMorris on one count of sexual assault, saying the available evidence did not provide a substantial likelihood of conviction.

A trial for McMorris was scheduled to begin Feb. 27.

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Lawyer for accused in Pitt rave says client "innocent until proven guilty"

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The girl and her father insist a code of silence still persists amongst the teens who were at the rave. The girl, who was 16 years old at the time of the incident, pleaded for more witnesses to speak to RCMP.

"I am asking you to please come forward, no matter how small and insignificant you may think it is. Please, please, please, come forward. It would mean the world to me and my family."

Her father also urged the teens to "do the right thing."

"I want to address to the individuals who observed the happenings ...that night who have never come forward to offer what they observed," he said.

"It's never too late to do that."

The alleged assault took place at at “Another Night in Bangkok,” a party held on a farm at 12993 Harris Road on 10 Sept. 2010.

Hundreds of teens and young adults attended the party. Police learned of the alleged assault after graphic photographs appeared on Facebook.

Six days later, on Sept. 16, police called a press conference to stop the distribution of the photographs which were as spreading like "wildfire" on the Internet and used strong words to describe the alleged assault.

“Make no mistake, this girl was raped, likely drugged and abused by numerous people," said Sgt. Jennifer Hyland, the officer in charge of Ridge Meadows RCMP's serious crime unit shortly after the incident.

Although police are no longer using the term "rape", Sgt. Peter Thiessen insists an assault took place at the rave, and it likely involved more than one person.

"We still believe and have evidence to support the belief that there was absolutely a sexual assault that occurred here," said Thiessen on Wednesday.

"It is quite likely and we strongly believe it involved more than one individual."

Thiessen bristled at suggestions that police had blown up the alleged assault.

"I can assure you knowing the content of these photos, it was not exaggerated what happen to this girl," he said.

"I would say if anybody heard the details of what this girl experienced, we wouldn't be having this discussion. I can assure you, you will all be shocked by these photos."

Police continue to investigate the allegations and joined the family in calling for more witnesses to come forward.

"There is more evidence out there. We simply need to tap into that evidence. We have done everything we possibly can," said Thiessen. "Investigators have worked day and night since September of 2010 on this investigation. It is unfortunate that it has resulted in a stay of proceedings but our investigators are not going to give up."

McMorris was the only person charged with sexual assault, although police believe more than one person participated in it and dozens watched.

Besides McMorris, two others faced charges following the rave.

A teenage boy, who was initially charged with making and distributing child pornography, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of distributing obscene material and was sentence Feb. 10 to 12 months probation.

Dennis John Allen Warrington, 20, faces a charge of making and distributing child pornography. His trial is set to begin in September.