Jury trial begins against man accused of sexually abusing six people in Penticton

After a jury was selected on September 16, the trial of a man accused of multiple counts of sexual assault begins in Penticton.

Donald Wayne Ashley is accused of six counts of sexual assault that allegedly occurred over a period of four days in 2022.

The case is subject to a publication ban that protects any information that could enable the victims to be identified.

On September 17, the jury heard opening statements and initial evidence.

Several witnesses are expected to be called, and Judge Fredericks noted that the planned length of the trial led to the unusual step of selecting 14 jurors for the panel.

He explained that with the two additional jurors he wanted to ensure that there would be enough jurors available to deliberate at the end of the trial.

In addition to the six victims, three police officers are also expected to testify as witnesses.

The first official's testimony was scheduled to follow opening statements on September 16.

The alleged sexual assaults are said to have occurred during sessions led by Ashley, which were described as part of the Indigenous cultural healing framework.