A Vancouver man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for the repeated sexual abuse of a girl who was 11 or 12 years old at the time. Ferdinand Silabay Talines was found guilty at a judge-alone trial in provincial court of two charges: sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual assault. The sentence was handed down last month, according to a recently published court decision.
What did the court find in the sexual abuse case?
The assaults took place between June 2021 and October 2022, over a period of about four months, and happened between 20 and 25 times. Talines was in his mid-40s at the time.
The girl's mother worked two, sometimes three, jobs and rented out rooms to support her children. She trusted Talines to look after her two daughters when she was away. The judge noted that the assaults happened when nobody else was around.
According to the decision, Talines went to the bunkbed room the girl shared with her younger sister, next to the living room. The girl slept on the top bunk. He climbed the ladder, covered her mouth with his hand and assaulted her, the judge wrote. A medical exam later found injury, which the judge said must have been very difficult for the girl.
What did the judge say about the impact?
Judge Gregory M. Rideout wrote that the abuse "must have been terrifying" for a girl of that age. The victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, told a social worker about the abuse in 2024.
What happens next?
The decision was published after sentencing, and the seven-year term is the punishment set by the court. Under Canadian law, the victim's name cannot be reported because of the publication ban. No further court dates were mentioned in the reporting.
FAQ
How many times was the girl assaulted?
The court found that Talines assaulted her between 20 and 25 times over roughly four months.
Who cared for the girl during the abuse?
Her mother had trusted Talines to watch her daughters while she worked, and the assaults took place when no one else was present.
