WARNING: This article contains detailed testimony of sexual assault.
One of Canada’s most succesful rappers, K’naan, is expected to testify in his own defence Thursday at his trial for sexual assault in Quebec City.
K’naan, whose real name is Keinan Abdi Warsame, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in a room at the Hilton hotel in Quebec City in July 2010, when he was performing at the Festival d’été de Québec.
The 48-year-old is best known for his 2009 global hit Wavin’ Flag.
Wednesday under cross-examination, his accuser, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban, maintained the same version of events she recounted earlier this week.
She testified that after getting to know Warsame online, he invited her to attend his concert in Quebec and spend time with him.
She said she was expecting it would be possible they would have sexual intercourse.
“For me the idea that I was going there with the expectation of a sexual relationship is not the issue,” she told the court Wednesday.
“It’s what actually happened that is the issue,” she said.
She said the night began as what she described as “a modern fairy tale.”
She said Warsame brought her backstage to his concert, held her hand, and was very nice to her before they returned to his hotel room.
“Fairy tales don’t always end happily ever after,” she said.
She repeated her testimony from earlier this week, that they had a meal together in the room and then started becoming physically intimate, but that Warsame had what she called “a tantrum” when she realized she didn’t have a condom.
“That’s when everything changed. It was night and day,” she said.
She said the mood was spoiled and they eventually went to sleep, but she was awakened later in the night when she felt Warsame having sexual intercourse with her.
“He raped me while I was sleeping. He took posession of my body,” she said.
Two of the alleged victim’s friends also testified Wednesday as to what she told them about the incident.
Later today, Warsame will testify in his own defence.
The trial was intially scheduled to wrap up today, but now closing arguments have been set for April 1.
