K'naan acquitted of sexual assault, CBC reports

A Quebec City court acquitted Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan of sexual assault charges on Wednesday, Canada's CBC reported.

K'naan, whose real name is Keinan Abdi Warsame, had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in a hotel room in 2010, when he was in Quebec City for a music festival. The woman filed a complaint with police in May 2022.

CBC reported that the judge raised questions about the artist's version of events but said there was not enough evidence to convict him beyond a reasonable doubt. The full decision was expected to be made public on Thursday.

K'naan, 48, is known for "Wavin' Flag," which became an anthem for the 2010 soccer World Cup. Born in Mogadishu in 1978, he fled Somalia at age 13 and grew up in Toronto.