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An Ontario woman who made up a story that her ex-spouse had choked and tried to rape her is going to jail.

Jennifer Gauthier’s lies in September 2015 landed her ex-spouse in jail for 19 days, before she recanted her claim, court was told Wednesday.

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“When you did what you did, you not only hurt (the ex-spouse), you hurt every real victim out there, every real complainant,” Ontario Court Justice Karen Lische told Gauthier, as she issued a 60-day sentence. “It takes a great deal of courage when you are the victim of an offence and come (you) forward alleging an offence of domestic violence where there is a breach of trust, violence where you are injured or attempted sexual intercourse where your sexual integrity is violated …

“It takes a great deal of courage to come forward and tell their story … knowing that what they said to a police officer who has to share it with other people. Now, because of what you did, real victims may be less likely to come forward and less likely to be believed … The damage you have done goes far beyond the 19 days (the ex-spouse) spent in jail for a crime he didn’t commit …