Wednesday, February 11, 2026
ADVT 
National

DNA match leads to conviction 22 years after B.C. sexual assault

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 May, 2024 11:12 AM
  • DNA match leads to conviction 22 years after B.C. sexual assault

Police in Metro Vancouver say a DNA match led to a man's arrest and conviction more than 22 years after he broke into a woman's home and sexually assaulted her. 

Richmond RCMP say Christopher Sharafi, also known as Mohammed Mendi Sharafi, was found guilty last October, and in April he was sentenced to five years in prison for the two offences dating back to December 2001.

The Mounties say the victim reported waking up to find a man standing in her room, and he then climbed into her bed and assaulted her as she tried to fight back.

They say in a statement that police collected and submitted DNA evidence for analysis, but the suspect remained unidentified until 2015, when the sample matched a known offender in the national DNA databank.

RCMP say Sharafi had been ordered to provide a DNA sample as part of a previous unrelated conviction and the Mounties' forensic laboratory confirmed the match.

They say Sharafi has now been found guilty of break and enter and sexual assault and sentenced to five years in prison for each offence, to be served concurrently.

MORE National ARTICLES

Crown blames most of Ali murder trial delays on defence and 'extraordinary events'

Crown blames most of Ali murder trial delays on defence and 'extraordinary events'
A Crown lawyer says holdups to the trial of a man found guilty of murdering a 13-year-old Burnaby, B.C., girl were mostly attributable to the defence and "discrete exceptional events," as he argued against the case being thrown out over delays.  Daniel Porte told a B.C. Supreme Court judge that if those events were subtracted, the remaining delays to Ibrahim Ali's trial would have amounted to about 25 months, falling within the allowable threshold.

Crown blames most of Ali murder trial delays on defence and 'extraordinary events'

Arrests in northern B.C. over allegations of trafficking safe-supply drugs

Arrests in northern B.C. over allegations of trafficking safe-supply drugs
Police in Prince George, B.C., say they have arrested two people over allegations they were trafficking safe-supply drugs that are prescribed as an alternative to the toxic drug supply in the province. RCMP say they acted on tips from the public and information from other investigations to gather enough evidence to detain the two suspects who were "seen allegedly exchanging illicit drugs for safer supply drugs."

Arrests in northern B.C. over allegations of trafficking safe-supply drugs

Witnesses needed to come forward in Surrey police shooting case

Witnesses needed to come forward in Surrey police shooting case
Police in Surrey are asking for witnesses in a case last month where an officer shot and seriously injured a fleeing suspect. Surrey Mounties say two Surrey Police Service officers were patrolling on foot on March 17th when they got a call about a man with a gun.

Witnesses needed to come forward in Surrey police shooting case

Bleak outlook for the housing market

Bleak outlook for the housing market
Economists say it could take months before consumers regain confidence and create a rebound in Canada's housing market, but a pent-up demand remains in places like BC. TD Bank economist Rishi Sondhi says the Canadian housing market is akin to a coiled spring, and significant demand in B-C and Ontario could be sparked by activities such as an interest-rate cut.

Bleak outlook for the housing market

Rain and snow warnings for BC

Rain and snow warnings for BC
Environment Canada has issued rain and snow warnings for parts of southwestern B-C as a moist Pacific frontal system moves into the region. The weather agency says North Vancouver and West Vancouver may see as much as 50 millimetres of rain in the next 24 hours, leading to possible washouts near rivers and creeks.

Rain and snow warnings for BC

Deportation hearing set for truck driver in deadly Saskatchewan hockey team bus crash

Deportation hearing set for truck driver in deadly Saskatchewan hockey team bus crash
A deportation hearing for the truck driver who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash six years ago has been scheduled for next month.  Lawyer Michael Greene said Monday the hearing for his client Jaskirat Singh Sidhu is to be held May 24.

Deportation hearing set for truck driver in deadly Saskatchewan hockey team bus crash