A Canadian man accused of rape has claimed he must be innocent – because his stomach is too large and his penis “way, way too small”.
Jacques Rouschop’s lawyer told an Ottawa court her client could not be guilty of charges that he raped and choked two sex workers - because he has a hernia that “makes it too painful to have sex from behind, his stomach is too large and his penis is way, way too small”.
She called as a defence witness a registered nurse who confirmed she had taken Rouschop’s measurements. The nurse testified that he has a 66-inch waist, 31-inch thighs and a one-inch penis that measures approximately two inches when erect.
His weight could not be confirmed because the scales at the jail where he is being held do not go high enough, the Ottawa Citizen reports.
The jury were shown naked pictures of Rouschop, who sat still in the dock as his measurements were read out in court.
The alleged victims testified that Rouschop had brutally attacked and choked him until they passed out in the backseat of his pick-up truck while parked in an industrial park in 2013.
One of the women told the court she felt “hopeless and scared” during the alleged attack, adding: “I couldn’t breathe. I was trying to get free but I couldn’t…I thought I was going to die.”
The defendant has a long criminal record and was described as a "career thief". His lawyer, Natasha Calvinho, told the jury: “He is not a perfect man. He has made mistakes. He has committed crimes. He has spent time in jail and has a significant criminal record.”
But she argued it was physically impossible that he had committed the brutal crimes.
Ms Calvinho added: “Due to his weight - around 400 pounds at the time - and his appearance, he will be the first to tell you that he has had a lot of trouble attracting members of the opposite sex, and that getting a woman’s attention, let alone having sex, was not something that happened very often for him."
“Despite his lack of physical attractiveness, he still had needs — sexual needs. And he turned to the services of sex trade workers.”
The lawyer suggested her client cared about one of the sex workers he is alleged to have attacked.
She said: “He cared for her. He brought her to his home for sleepovers and dinners with his mum.”
The trial continues.
