Sex assault: Repentant, ex-MP Harold Lebell could be out of jail already

Expelled MP Harold Lebel’s “genuine regrets” and introspection during his 8 weeks in prison have finally seen him released from prison in January, despite being sentenced to 8 months in prison.

• Read more: Sexual Assault: Harold Lebel released after 54 days in custody

“You show genuine remorse and sympathize with the victim. In detention, you are remorseful,” the Quebec commission said in its latest decision against the former MP.

Lebel, 60, has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a young woman in October 2017. That evening, he gave the victim, who considered him a friend, “a night of hell.” .

As she passes through Rimoski, who hosts her at his home, Lebel kisses her and removes her bra. Later, as she lay in bed, the discharged MP placed her on the Murphy bed and fondled her before inserting a finger into her anus.

“It was absolutely endless. […] I told myself he was going to stop, he was going to sleep, but it just kept going,” the woman testified to the jury.

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Consent

LeBelle has always denied assault, but his time behind bars seems to have opened his eyes to the fact that he “didn’t handle the situation very well.”

“You acted without any consideration for the victim and there was no consent for the actions you took,” the commission responded. You forced her and violated her will. »

The attacker later explained that behind his confidence at work was a “level of exhaustion” and that his drinking was an “exhaust” for his problems.

“Fear of abandonment, rejection, disappointment and loneliness are recurring themes in your talk,” the curators noted.

Favorable reports

But because LeBel appeared to have made progress and reports on him were “unanimously favorable,” the commission granted him the right to leave prison to encourage his social reintegration. However, he will have to live in a halfway house and receive treatment until April 16.

And since alcohol appears to have played a role in his sexual assault, he will be banned from consuming it. He must avoid any contact with the victim whose identity cannot be revealed by court order.