Harold LeBel’s victim should be known shortly. The young woman who was sexually abused by the former Rimouski MP filed a motion to have the publication ban lifted, which prevented her from being identified.
• Also read: Sexual assault: Repentant ex-MP Harold LeBel can already be released from prison
• Also read: Sexual assault: Harold LeBel released after 54 days in prison
According to documents consulted by Le Journal, the motion will be heard at the Rimouski courthouse on Thursday.
Recently, the victim applied for listing in order to present his application to a judge of the Quebec Court, who must confirm the application.
The young woman’s identity had been protected since November 2020, when an arrest warrant was issued for LeBel.
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documentary
Recall that the victim came through Rimouski for a business trip and that Harold LeBel, whom she considered a friend, invited her to sleep over. She was accompanied by a friend, but the gestures happened after the latter fell asleep.
This application for lifting the ban on publication was to be expected, since it was mentioned in the trial against the ex-politician that the young woman had agreed to take part in a documentary on this subject. She had also been brought back to the bar to testify on the matter.
“I was not accompanied by a film crew during my testimony. I conducted interviews before and after my testimony,” she explained, calling the project “a rigorous exercise that describes the stages of the court process.”
Conditional exemption
For his part, Harold LeBel was placed on leave Tuesday in preparation for his parole, which was scheduled for April 16. He will remain in a transitional home until that date, where he has committed to undergoing therapy for sexual problems and emotional dependency disorders.
He confessed to parole board members about the assault he committed and said he was “shocked” by the testimony the victim made at the trial.
“You admit you were too insistent on the sacrifice. […] You admit to all the actions you are accused of. You are well aware of the impact of your actions on the victim and your family,” the officials wrote in their decision.
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