A man convicted of a 2016 sexual assault in Burlington has been found to be a dangerous offender.
On Feb. 12, 2021, Vezio Cardullo, 42, pled guilty to sexual assault cause bodily harm, overcome resistance by choking, and uttering threats. Following his conviction, a Dangerous Offender Application process began, and was finally concluded on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, finding Cardullo to be a dangerous offender.
The designation of dangerous offender is reserved for Canada's most violent criminals and sexual predators. It is sought by the Crown during sentencing and must show that there is a high risk that the criminal will commit violent or sexual offences in the future.
The Honourable Justice Clayton J. Conlan sentenced Cardullo to 17 years in prison, followed by a 10-year supervision order.
Halton Regional Police hope this outcome will bring some measure of healing to the victim.
On Sept. 18, 2016, at approximately 8:30 pm, an adult female was attacked by a stranger near the waterfront of Spencer Smith Park in Burlington.
After the woman escaped, she contacted the police who located and arrested Vezio Cardullo, of NFA near the park.
Sexual assault:
Sexual assault is any touching of another person without their consent where the touching is of a sexual nature, or where the sexual integrity of the victim is violated. A sexual assault can range from unwanted touching to sexual assault involving penetration.
There is no statute of limitation when it comes to reporting a sexual assault. This means that no matter how long ago the sexual assault happened, you can still report it to police for investigation.
Victims of violence and/or sexual assault can contact the Halton Regional Police Service Victim Services Unit at 905-825-4777 for support.
Additional information can be found in our Sexual Assault Information Guide.
A valuable resource for information is also available on the Survivors Voices website.
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