Rapper K'naan acquitted of sexual assault in Quebec City hotel case

A Quebec judge found rapper K'naan not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in his Quebec City hotel room in 2010. The court said guilt could not be established beyond reasonable doubt.

Quebec judge acquits K'naan after 2010 hotel assault allegation

A Quebec judge has found rapper K'naan — whose legal name is Keinan Abdi Warsame — not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman while she slept in his Quebec City hotel room in July 2010, CBC.ca reported Wednesday.

Judge Julie Roy delivered her decision in court, stating that while she did not entirely believe Warsame's testimony, the evidence was insufficient to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Warsame thanked the court after the verdict was read.

The woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, filed her complaint with Montreal police in May 2022. She had met Warsame in 2010 when he was performing at the Festival d'été de Québec, after first connecting with him online. During the trial, she testified from behind a screen.

She told the court that once they were in the hotel room, it became clear intercourse was expected, but she decided against it when she realized she had no condom. According to her testimony, this made Warsame "enormously angry." She said he attempted to proceed without a condom, she pushed him off, and he appeared to accept the refusal. The two then went to sleep.

She testified she later woke in the night to find Warsame having intercourse with her while she slept.

During his own testimony last March, Warsame acknowledged the argument over the condom but denied the nighttime assault, saying the two had consensual sex the following morning. He described the accusation that he attacked her in the night as untrue.

Roy noted on Wednesday that both accounts were plausible and consistent on several key points. The court ultimately could not rule out reasonable doubt, and Warsame was acquitted.

Neither Warsame nor his lawyer made any statement as they left the courtroom. The Crown prosecutor also declined to comment.

Warsame had risen to international prominence in 2009 with the release of Wavin' Flag, which became a global hit the following year.

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)