Witness breaks down after being accused of lying
Inconsistencies hammered by defence
Susan Lazaruk, The Province
Published: Wednesday, August 15, 2007

A woman broke down and sobbed on the stand yesterday after being accused of making up allegations of sexual assault against her teacher, international tap-dancing star Van "The Man" Porter.

The woman, now 21, is among three of Porter's former teen students who allege that the one-time Riverdance regular and former Broadway hoofer sexually assaulted them during private lessons while he taught for the Vancouver Tap Dance Society.

Porter, who also tap-danced in the Hollywood musical Tap with Gregory Hines, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assaults, three of sexual exploitation by someone in a position of trust or authority of a young person and one of sexual interference involving a child under 14.

The woman, who cannot be identified because she's a complainant in a sexual-assault case, testified that Porter massaged her breasts and vagina and kissed and hugged her during private lessons and in a U.S. hotel room where they had travelled as part of a group to attend a tap-dance conference.

The assaults against the woman and two other complainants, including a then-15-year-old and a third who was 12 to 13 years old, allegedly happened between 2002 and 2005.

Court heard yesterday that after the first two complainants went to police in 2003, Porter was allowed to continue teaching at the society, including being allowed to conduct private lessons.

But parents were advised to supervise the one-on-one sessions. One assaulted is alleged to have occurred after the parental warning.

Defence lawyer Richard Fowler spent hours yesterday pointing out inconsistencies among the woman's recollection of events while on the stand, her police statement in 2003 and a preliminary hearing months ago.

The soft-spoken woman said the police statement differed in details because it was made when she was 16, when she "was too shy to say anything."

But Fowler said the discrepancies prove she's lying.

"It's because you made it up," he said. "It never happened, did it?"

Judge Allan Stewart adjourned the proceedings early after the woman broke down and began sobbing on the stand.

slazaruk@png.canwest.com

© The Vancouver Province 2007