A Montrealer is to serve four years in prison for hiding a young woman in Haiti months after a deadly earthquake to protect a member of her entourage she suspected of sexually assaulting him.
“I lost four and a half years of my life because of you. During these four painful years, I had nothing to do with school or a normal family; Instead, I had a family that treated me like a servant and beat me when they wanted,” according to a letter from the victim, whose identity was protected by the court, he read during a hearing in the summer. of 2018.
Anister Paul, now 66, appealed against the verdict of Judge Myleene Gregoire, who sentenced him to four years in prison that year for obstruction of justice. A few days ago, an appeals court rejected his plea and ordered him to surrender to prison authorities to serve his sentence.
When the girl was 9 years old, she was sexually assaulted by a man. When he finally got the courage to report the crime, a criminal investigation was launched by the Montreal Police Department. As the case was submitted to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) for review, Annestor Paul devised a strategy in the summer of 2010 to isolate the suspect as much as possible in order to protect him. In other words, the absence of a complainant makes the legal process almost impossible.
“[…] Accused informs [la jeune fille] He brings her to see her biological mother who lives in America. As she did not know her, never saw her again, [elle] Pleased with the project”, can we read in the Quebec court’s decision?
But in fact, Paul took her to a commune in Haiti where living conditions were dire because of the natural disaster that had struck seven months earlier. He left her with complete strangers.
“[…] My health suffered; I was very sick. To be honest, I was sick almost every day, the victim’s letter reveals. I had typhoid, malaria, and I was anemic because I didn’t get medical help.[l]. […] I was raped and when it happened I wanted to die because it brought me back to thinking about other sexual assaults I had experienced. […]»
With great determination and no identification documents, the young woman presented herself at the Canadian Embassy in Haiti in 2014, where, after an investigation, we arranged for her return to Quebec. She was able to contact the authorities and explain her whole story. Therefore, Anester Paul, the person who sexually assaulted the girl was also arrested.
Abbreviations:
“The defendant acted out of self-interest and opted for protection [l’homme] On the contrary [la jeune fille].”
– Judge Myleine Grégoire, Court of Quebec
“For a better understanding, it is important to remember the January 12, 2010, earthquake that occurred a few months before arrival. [la jeune fille], which caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, destroyed many buildings, caused major health problems, and required the help of rescuers from all over the world. In this sense, the accused’s detachment and indifference to fate [la jeune fille] They will become unimaginably wicked and cruel.
– Judge Myleine Grégoire, Court of Quebec
“The devious scheme of the accused, premeditated and carefully executed, would, on the whole, work for a very long time. […]. Indeed, it would have taken almost four years since the report came out [la jeune fille] to the charges against [l’homme] And ten years before she testified in this case. The actions of the accused, who are largely responsible for these delays, inevitably constitute a form of denial of justice.”
– Judge Myleine Grégoire, Court of Quebec
“Even considering the age [la jeune fille] The tribunal notes that at the time of the 2010 events, he had a better memory and a better sense of observation. Demonstrating honesty and transparency, [la jeune fille] He testified calmly and confidently, with a constant concern to properly inform the tribunal.
– Judge Jacques J. Lévesque, Court of Appeals
“Every morning I would get up and go to the door and see other children coming down the street to go to school, and every time it would stab me in the heart. , because I kept thinking about the education I had. I was here, and now I don’t have it. [plus].”
– Extract from the letter of the victim
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