Regina sexual assault trial gets underway

Claro Belen pleaded not guilty to the charges before him as the trial got underway Monday at the King’s Bench.

The charges stem from a 2024 investigation after a nine-year-old alleged they were being sexually assaulted.

The prosecution brought forth multiple pieces of evidence showcasing exactly where and how Belen’s alleged assaults took place. Including a photo booklet detailing his office space.

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The child who alleges the assault described the incident as, “The worst feeling I could ever imagine.”

The assault was described in two parts. The first took place in a waiting area while the child waited for their music lesson. The second occurred in a bathroom in which Belen allegedly forced his way into, coercing the child to then touch him.

The child’s school principal was the one to call social services initially, as their teacher was the first person the child told.