Dozens of people protested in front of a courthouse in Montreal to demand judicial reform in Quebec after engineer Simon Hole was acquitted of sexual assault.
Posted at 1:34 p.m.
Updated at 1:43 p.m.
In an interview, the organizers of the event condemned the judiciary’s inability to adequately deal with sex crimes.
” [Le jugement Houle] The reason is that the case law is replete with comparable decisions for the trees that cover the forest [le juge Matthieu Poliquin] came to this conclusion, he was inspired by decisions made in the past,” explained one of them, Melanie Lemay.
“I, this week, my anger is against the justice minister,” he added. He has been talking to us about a special court for years knowing full well that all the vitriol condemned by the victims will continue, whether this case law will be a special court or not! »
Recall that Judge Matthieu Poliquin, in a judgment handed down in June, granted a conditional dismissal to Simon Houle, an engineer from Trois-Rivières who was found guilty of sexual assault. The man, who was 27 at the time, stripped the victim naked, inserted his fingers into her genital area and filmed her body as she slept.
Sparking significant media coverage, the verdict sparked outrage on social media and the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DBCP) announced it would seek leave to appeal the verdict.
Photo by Philip Bowin, The Press
‘Justice is stupid’, ‘Don’t tell me there’s no rape culture’ and ‘Rapists everywhere, justice nowhere’ were the only slogans on many of the participants’ cards.
Inadequacy of law
That’s why protesters condemned more than a decision, but demanded a complete overhaul of the way sexual assault cases are handled.
“It has been said for years that the criminal law has not been reformed [pour juger des crimes de nature sexuels]. We were brought to the Special Tribunal as if things were going to change, but it wasn’t,” lamented Alexandra Dubuis, another organizer of the event.
“This demonstration is not against that decision, but rather about the inadequacy of the criminal justice system in relation to sexual offences”, he added.
Photo by Philip Bowin, The Press
The event is co-hosted by Alexandra Dupuis
“Our injuries are not taken seriously”
Shocked by the verdict, many people wanted to show their support to the victim.
“This verdict is disrespectful to the victims, especially the victims in this case. It is further evidence that our grievances are not being taken seriously. […] Not only does it show that there is no point in filing a complaint, but the affidavits, even if there is evidence, will have no consequences,” explained one protester, Louise Boisant-Rose.
Another attendee at the event, Catherine, wanted to show her support for the cause amid a backlash for women’s rights in the US following the nullification of the verdict. Roe v. Wade In America.
“It is time to protest against injustice to protect the rights we have earned,” he said.
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