It was the beginning of the statements on the verdict in the Véronik Cournoyer case at the Sherbrooke courthouse. The 39-year-old Stanstead woman pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault involving a third party and possession of child pornography.
During the performances, the victim and her mother testified about the multiple impacts of this crime on their lives.
The teenager, who was twelve at the time of the crime, was attacked several times by the defendant and her then ex-partner Frédérick Brousseau.
“The summer when I was 12 was marked by sexual assault that shaped my life as a young teenager,” the victim said in a letter.
Because the sexual assault had been filmed, the victim was disturbed by the idea that her images could be found on social media and the Internet. “I was afraid of losing the people I loved because of threats from my attackers,” said the teenager, who began mutilating herself and taking drugs.
Véronik Cournoyer was arrested two years after the events and said she was living under the yoke and intimidation of her ex-partner Frédérick Brousseau, who also allegedly threatened her own daughter.
Sentencing continues on January 30.