A reader wrote to me to let me know that the show’s lawyers The judge, aired on Friday at 8pm on Noovo, had ridiculed a woman who said she was experiencing domestic violence. I checked.
In fact, the lawyers blame the complainant and repeat the worst stereotypes about domestic violence.
Is that normal?
In Les Justiciers, three lawyers hear disputes between citizens and “discuss among themselves the amount of damages to be awarded.”
On the show “Gone with My Best Friend,” I was shocked to see these lawyers mocking a woman who demanded her share of unpaid rent from her ex.
Host Paul Houde’s tone is sensationalist and moralizing from the start: “This young woman left the accommodation where she was staying with her partner under the pretext that she was suffering from domestic violence and found refuge in the arms of his ex’s best friend .” !”
The complainant states that she was afraid of her partner because he made holes by banging on walls and doors (we saw terrible photos) and that he was “verbally aggressive”. She says that one evening while she was partying with friends in a park, her partner showed up and argued with his two friends.
She was “scared to come home every time” because she didn’t know “what would happen.”
Marie-Elaine Tremblay’s answer: “If I go out drinking in a park tonight with two other men, I too will be afraid to come home and see my husband’s reaction!” He won’t be happy. This is not domestic violence, but a reaction that is completely normal for a couple.”
A “normal reaction”? Imagine the message this sends in this time of condemnation of femicide!
“He never used domestic violence against you. And you say that. I find it disgusting!” the lawyer tells him.
Another lawyer said to him with a laugh: “You’re not responsible for any of this?”
A classic case of “blaming the victim”!
However, the man admits that during a harassment incident he caught and crushed the complainant’s wrist with his car.
The lawyers criticize the woman for not contacting a contact point for victims of domestic violence. “She had the solution, she didn’t implement it. How negligent of him.” I Elfriede Duclervil exclaims: “What I see is the pattern of a young girl on an emotional level who does not seem to be very stable.”
Lawyers judge the woman instead of judging the case!
We read many outraged comments on the show’s Facebook page:
“I can’t believe there are comments like this in 2023, and from women no less!”
Questions
Is the purpose of a small claims lawsuit for unpaid rent to adjudicate a domestic violence case? According to the law, “if your safety is at risk due to domestic violence, you may request to terminate your rental agreement, even if you have not filed a police report.”
Why did none of the three lawyers mention this to the complainant instead of laughing at her?
