Former MP Catherine Fournier says she felt very alone in the corridors of Parliament following the arrest of her assailant, former elected Harold LeBel. “Of the 125 MEPs, there are two who have written to me,” she lamented in an interview with Le Devoir on Wednesday.
“There was no public speaking, whether to challenge or open discussion of that person’s place. [M. LeBel] To the National Assembly in view of the charges,” she added at the microphone of the Décrocher la Une podcast. “That’s an observation I make… Then everyone knew it was me. »
Some 24 hours after she applied, at her request, to have the publication ban lifted that protected her identity as a victim of Harold LeBel, the current mayor of Longueuil condemned the silence of her fellow parliamentarians and the lack of support from the National Assembly in the hours and days after the arrest of his attacker on December 15, 2020.
“The National Assembly may have missed the opportunity to question itself at the time,” she said.
An independent guarantor
Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, who was arrested in the halls of Parliament this morning, agreed that it was “important to have clear rules in the National Assembly” on sexual assault cases. “There could be a reflection in collaboration with the President of the National Assembly. I think it’s important,” he said.
On Tuesday, Ms Fournier proposed to parliamentarians to create an “independent respondent” position on sexual violence.
“I suggested at the time, as part of a bill in the National Assembly, that this could come under the jurisdiction of the DGEQ [Directeur général des élections du Québec] ‘ she explained in an interview. “I don’t think it’s realistic for a victim – be it an elected official or an activist – to confide in a whip or a party leader. »
“I think we can be scared […] the consequences on our journey,” she continued.
When asked about the protection of elected officials, National Assembly President Nathalie Roy assured that the institution had already looked into the matter. “The National Assembly has not waited to change and improve its regulations to help, among other things, people who are victims of bullying and sexual harassment,” she said.
A “respect officer” will be appointed by the fall, she added. According to a regulation passed in early April, she will be “responsible for handling situations of rudeness, conflict and harassment involving a deputy, a member of his staff [ou] an employee of a cabinet of the National Assembly”.
Minister Jolin-Barrette said he was ready to study the principle of the independent guarantor.
“Weakness”
Pascal Bérubé, MP for the Parti Québécois (PQ), and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-speaker of Québec solidaire, agreed on Wednesday that they were uncomfortable sitting with Harold LeBel when he returned to parliament in March 2022 . The deputy was awaiting trial at the time. However, there is nothing to prevent an elected official who is prosecuted from remaining in office.
“We are not talking about a simple rumor on social media, there was a formal criminal case. So, yes, I sensed that uneasiness, so I think we need to improve our approach,” said Mr Nadeau-Dubois.
“I was really surprised that he came back,” said Mr. Bérubé.
His colleague in the PQ, Chief Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, hopes the National Assembly rules will be changed to suspend an accused pending a verdict. “I expect that to change,” he said.
Catherine Fournier was sexually assaulted by her colleague from Parti Québécois in October 2017 while taking part in a political activity in Rimouski. After much deliberation, she reported him to the police in July 2020. Following the trial held last year, Mr. LeBel was found guilty and sentenced to eight months in prison. He has since been conditionally released.
With Marie-Michèle Sioui and Felix Deschênes