“They destroyed her life”: 3 years for sexually abusing a young woman from Kelowna

Warning: This story deals with sexual violence and mental illness, which may be provocative for some readers.

Joshua Hawco showed no “insight or remorse” for the sexual abuse of a young woman, Judge Weatherill said on July 2 at a sentencing hearing in the Supreme Court in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Three and a half years after the crime, Hawco was sentenced to three years in prison for sexually abusing an unknown woman while she slept in her bed.

The name of the survivor of the attack cannot be disclosed due to strict court publication bans that prohibit the identification of the victims. Instead, the young woman is referred to by the pseudonym Jane Doe.

In the early hours of December 24, 2020, Hawco was invited to Doe’s house for a date by her roommate after they found a match on the dating app Tinder.

After briefly meeting Hawco, Doe went to her room, closed the door, started a movie, and texted her boyfriend saying she believed her roommate and Hawco were going to have sexual intercourse before she fell asleep.

Some time later, Doe woke up with Hawco’s penis in her mouth and his fingers in her vagina.

While testifying during the trial, Doe said she was paralyzed with fear, afraid of what might have happened to her roommate or what might happen to her if she fought back against the attack.

Hawco then removed his penis from Doe’s mouth and left the room. During his brief absence, Doe quietly texted her boyfriend asking for help.

A short time later, Hawco returned to the room with a condom, put it on, and began having sex with Doe. While on the stand, she said she physically resisted the interaction, told Hawco to stop, and made noises that indicated she was in pain.

She said when he returned to the room, he turned her over and held her by her hips while lying on her stomach, attempting to have vaginal sex with her. Doe said his grip on her hips was so tight she couldn’t pull away.

Hawco then left her room, gathered his things and left the house.

Doe said that when she was sure Hawco had left, she checked on her roommate to make sure she was safe. She then contacted her boyfriend and sister, who advised her to call police. Doe then called police and filed a sexual assault report.

Hawco denies non-consensual sex, but admits to having sex with both Doe and her roommate in the early hours of December 24. According to Hawco, while on the stand as a witness, he went into Doe’s room naked and opened her door after Doe’s roommate fell asleep after sex. During the trial, Hawco claimed Doe “invited” him into her room to have sex with her. Doe denies this, repeatedly stating on the stand that she woke up during the abuse and that it was completely non-consensual.

Following a criminal trial in the Kelowna courts, Hawco was found guilty of sexual assault by a 12-person jury on November 5, 2022.

Hawco continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Before sentencing, Doe had the opportunity to read a victim impact statement to the court while Hawco was on the stand.

She detailed how she has suffered both physically and emotionally over the past three and a half years. Doe said she attempted to end her life a month after the attack because of the trauma and shame she felt. She developed an eating disorder that was physically damaging to her and suffered from mental illnesses including PTSD, depression and anxiety.

After hearing the victim’s “heartbreaking” statement, Judge Weatherill told Hawco: “The memories of your actions continue to traumatise her.”

“Her fear continues to this day. You have destroyed her life,” said Judge Weatherill of the lasting impact the attack had on the young woman.

Weatherill said his job was to ensure that the punishment imposed was proportionate to the seriousness of the offence.

He read to the court a list of aggravating circumstances, including: the fact that Doe was asleep at the time of the assault, Hawco’s “lack of insight and remorse” for his actions, and the negative and significant impact on the victim.

Mitigating circumstances include the fact that Hawco has no previous convictions, that he works, and that the conviction carries significant stigma. Hawco was born and raised in Newfoundland, is 32 years old, and has thinning light brown hair.

“I consider the offence to be very serious,” said Judge Weatherill. “What you did was outrageous.”

Judge Weatherill sentenced Hawco to three years imprisonment, less time already served, with 45 days credited, with 1.5 days credited for the 30 days he spent in custody prior to sentencing.

After the hearing ended, two sheriffs handcuffed Hawco and took him into custody.