Man gets prison term, probation for threats
Chebeir referenced killer Marc Lépine in his posts to Quebec feminist websites
A man who harassed and threatened women online for their opinions was sentenced Thursday at a Montreal courthouse to a fourmonth prison term.
Alexandre Chebeir, 24, used photos of Marc Lépine, who killed 14 women in 1989 during a shooting rampage inside the École Polytechnique, and the hashtag #JeSuisMarc in his messages in 2016. Besides the prison term, Chebeir was also sentenced to three years of supervised probation.
In one case, the messages were posted on the Facebook page of Réseau québécois d’études féministes (RéQEF), a research group on feminist issues associated with the Université du Québec à Montréal. In another, messages were sent to Sans oui, c’est non, an online campaign against sexual violence.
Besides the photo of Lepine and the chilling hashtag, Chebeir also sent messages that read: “One day you will pay for all the harm you have brought on men. We will avenge O Marc Lépine. Praise to you O Marc Lépine.”
“In the context of the current (case) the gravity of (Chebeir’s) behaviour is indisputable. The (Polytechnique) tragedy Mr. Chebier is referring to in his messages marked the history of our society,” Quebec Court Judge Yves Paradis said, reading from his decision.
“It manifestly constitutes hatred toward women. By evoking the tragedy, by identifying as its author and by sending these messages to such organizations, Mr. Chebeir was necessarily aware of the impact they would create. In fact, the consequences on the administrators, the members of these organizations and on the organizations themselves was significant. To this day, the fear remains.”
Chebeir was initially charged in December 2016 with three counts related to uttering threats. On Sept. 12, 2017, he pleaded guilty to criminal harassment. He was not detained while his Montreal case was pending but he was placed behind bars in February after he was arrested by the Gatineau police and charged with wilful promotion of hatred for something he published on Feb. 19.
For a series of reasons, including that Chebeir had no previous criminal record and because he suffers from depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, prosecutor Jimmy Simard initially did not intend to ask for a prison term. Simard changed his stance after Chebeir’s arrest in Gatineau. He asked for a six-month prison term to be followed by three years of probation.
Defence lawyer Steve Houle asked that the sentence involve a discharge because he feared a criminal record would prevent his client from pursuing plans to become a nurse. During sentencing arguments, Houle pointed out that Chebeir apologized to the victims in writing.
“The court has serious doubts about them. The apologies, written as opposed to verbal, were accompanied by statements that masked the extent of the problem of the prejudices Mr. Chebier has towards women,” Paradis said.
Sandrine Ricci, coordinator for RéQEF and the first to file a criminal complaint against Chebeir, said the prosecutor told her the sentence sets a precedent that can be used in future similar cases.
“It sends a message to (the men who make such threats) that impunity is finished,” she said. “It also sends a message to feminists and women who have suffered this type of cyber harassment that there are means and there is access to justice.”