Montreal Gazette

Judge faces censure over comments to victim of sex assault

Told 17-year-old she was ‘overweight’ but had ‘a pretty face’

- CAROLINE PLANTE

Quebec’s Justice minister will file a complaint against a judge who said a 17-year-old victim of sexual assault had a pretty face and was maybe a “bit flattered” at the interest shown in her.

Le Journal de Montréal reported Wednesday that Quebec Court Judge Jean-Paul Braun made the comments earlier this year during the sexual assault trial of taxi driver Carlo Figaro, who was eventually found guilty of attacking her in his cab.

“We can say she is a little overweight, but she has a pretty face, huh?” Braun said at one point.

He went on to say she was possibly even “a little flattered” because “maybe it’s the first time he’s interested in her.”

Braun said the victim was perhaps a bit naive, although she didn’t expect to be groped during the taxi ride.

The trial heard that Figaro licked the girl’s face and grabbed her before she was able to get out of the vehicle.

Braun noted that trying to kiss someone could be seen as an acceptable gesture.

In Quebec City on Wednesday, Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée called the judge’s remarks unacceptab­le and said she intends to file a complaint.

Braun convicted Figaro, 49, last May of sexual assault, and the cabbie will return to court in November for a sentencing hearing. He is appealing the verdict. Quebec Court Chief Judge Lucie Rondeau said in a statement the court would not comment on Braun’s case.

“Indeed, following the complaint announced by the Justice minister, it is up to the Conseil de la magistratu­re du Québec ( judicial council) to decide whether an ethical fault has been committed,” Rondeau wrote.

But that didn’t stop provincial politician­s of all stripes weighing in Wednesday, roundly criticizin­g the judge’s comments as unacceptab­le.

Hélène David, the minister responsibl­e for the status of women, called on judges to address the issue.

“Do they need more training? Do they need more sensibilit­y? I don’t know — this is their problem,” David told a news conference. “But they have to solve that kind of problem and change the mentality and attitude.”

Parti Québécois Leader JeanFranço­is Lisée called Braun’s comments troubling.

“This is very serious,” he said, adding the judge should recuse himself from further cases. “We turn to our judges for wisdom and (upholding) the law, and we have had neither.”

Québec solidaire member Manon Massé said in a statement the judge’s comments demonstrat­e that “rape culture is implanted in different spheres of Quebec society and, once again, this is another example of a person in a position of authority making inappropri­ate remarks toward women.”

She called on the judicial council to settle the matter quickly.

The council must first evaluate whether a complaint will be accepted and, if so, an investigat­ive committee would examine the facts before determinin­g whether there would be any eventual sanction.

A spokeswoma­n for the council declined to comment Wednesday.

At the federal level, a bill proposed by ex-Conservati­ve interim leader Rona Ambrose that would mean changes to sex assault law training for federally appointed judges is before the Senate.

In response to complaints about judges’ comments in other jurisdicti­ons, Ontario also made sexual assault training a requiremen­t for provincial judges in May.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada