Skip to Main content

15.12°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Sports Videos Shows Podcast Contact Us

May 29, 2024 7:49 PM - The Canadian Press

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

Share On

dna-match-leads-to-conviction-22-years-after-b-c-sexual-assault

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.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

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.

Latest news

CanadaSep 25, 2026

Canada, Germany Sign Intelligence-Sharing Agreement

Canada has announced a significant intelligence-sharing agreement with Germany aimed at strengthening cooperation in defence, security, trade and advanced technologies. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and German Foreign Affairs Minister Johann Wadephul signed the agreement in Ottawa on Friday. The deal will enable the secure exchange of intelligence not only on sensitive defence and security matters but also in areas such as trade and advanced technologies. Referring to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech to the European Parliament last week, Anand said Germany plays an important role i

CanadaSep 25, 2026

Canada-U.S. Air Travel Rebounds, Passenger Numbers Rise 5.9% in August

The decline in air travel from Canada to the United States, which had continued year over year for 18 consecutive months, has now come to an end. According to August data from Statistics Canada, the significant slowdown in Canadian travel to the U.S. caused by trade and political tensions between the two countries earlier in 2025 appears to be easing. The number of Canadian air passengers travelling to the U.S. increased by 5.9% year over year in August, compared with a 0.9% decline in July. Statistics Canada said Toronto Pearson and Montréal-Trudeau airports recorded double-digit growth in a

eby-announces-new-tax-on-empty-condos-in-b-c

Eby Announces New Tax on Empty Condos in B.C.

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby announced during a campaign stop in Burnaby that, if re-elected, his government would introduce a new empty condo tax targeting developers who leave completed condo units unsold and vacant for more than a year. Under the proposed measure, the tax would increase by one percentage point for each additional year a unit remains vacant. Eby said just 10 developers are holding more than $2 billion worth of completed condos that they are unwilling to sell at what he described as reasonable prices. He warned developers that they would have to either sell the units or pay the

canada-u-s-trade-deal-could-take-time-as-trump-administration-shows-no-urgency

CanadaSep 25, 2026

Canada-U.S. Trade Deal Could Take Time as Trump Administration Shows No Urgency

Resolving the trade dispute between Canada and the United States could take considerable time, as the Trump administration says it is in no rush to reach a new trade agreement with Canada. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC in an interview Friday that significant trade is still taking place between the two countries and that the Trump administration is satisfied with the current situation. Greer said the U.S. trade policy is global in scope and applies equally to countries including Canada, China, the U.K. and Brazil. He also confirmed that his team remains in contact with Cana

45-year-old-man-arrested-over-alleged-threats-against-pm-mark-carney-on-social-media

CanadaSep 25, 2026

45-Year-Old Man Arrested Over Alleged Threats Against PM Mark Carney on Social Media

RCMP have arrested and charged a 45-year-old Quebec City man for allegedly making threats against Prime Minister Mark Carney on social media. Police identified the accused as Ousmane Bah, who allegedly used his Facebook account to make death threats against the prime minister. The investigation began on July 6, and Bah appeared in court on September 24. He faces charges related to threats to cause death or bodily harm and promoting hatred against a public figure. According to the court’s decision, Bah will remain in police custody until his next court appearance on October 1. This is reporte

Related News

Eby Announces New Tax on Empty Condos in B.C.

Eby Announces New Tax on Empty Condos in B.C.

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby announced during a campaign stop in Burnaby that, if re-elected, his government would introduce a new empty condo tax targeting developers who leave completed condo units unsold and vacant for more than a year. Under the proposed measure, the tax would increase by one percentage point for each additional year a unit remains vacant. Eby said just 10 developers are holding more than $2 billion worth of completed condos that they are unwilling to sell at what he described as reasonable prices. He warned developers that they would have to either sell the units or pay the

Two Hospitalized After Crash Involving Mercedes and Ram Pickup in Surrey

Two Hospitalized After Crash Involving Mercedes and Ram Pickup in Surrey

Two people were hospitalized after a serious two-vehicle crash in Surrey on Thursday night that caused a pickup truck to roll over. According to Surrey Police Service and B.C. Emergency Health Services, the collision occurred at around 10 p.m. at the intersection of 152 Street and 99 Avenue. A Mercedes and a Ram pickup truck collided, sending the pickup rolling into a utility pole before coming to rest on its side. Surrey Fire Service and paramedics responded to the scene and transported two occupants to hospital. Police confirmed that their injuries were not life-threatening. Police have not

Mother Jones Reveals Major Details From Tumbler Ridge Shooter’s ChatGPT History

Mother Jones Reveals Major Details From Tumbler Ridge Shooter’s ChatGPT History

A new report by U.S. magazine Mother Jones has revealed details of the alleged ChatGPT history of Jesse Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old identified in connection with the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. According to the report, Van Rootselaar had previously used ChatGPT to discuss a potential mass shooting at a shopping mall, after which the account was banned. She later created a second account and allegedly told the chatbot that the earlier scenario had been fictional. Mother Jones reports that Van Rootselaar subsequently used hypothetical or fictional framing to get responses to violent

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

Broadcasting Notice of Consultation

BC Children's Hospital