UBC professor says Galloway accuser retracted statement to RCMP as she felt unsafe

VANCOUVER — A University of British Columbia creative writing professor says the woman who accused author Steven Galloway of sexual and physical assault gave a statement to police but retracted it a short time later out of concern they would contact him.

Annabel Lyon, who is now the director of the university’s school of creative writing, testified today in the trial where Galloway alleges he was defamed by the former student and others for publishing the unproven allegations.

Lyon is the first witness for defendant A.B., whose name is under a publication ban, and she told the court that faculty from the department met in November 2015 to discuss the allegations after the woman had relayed them to another professor.

Lyon says those in the meeting were “absolutely shocked” over the allegations, recalling a discussion that while A.B. had reported them to police, she later retracted the statement out of concern the RCMP were going to reach out to Galloway and she felt unsafe.