Media asks to broadcast video of mosque tragedy
R equest pits freedom of expression against rights of the victims, judge says
QUEBEC Judge François Huot says he will have to weigh two “great fundamental values” in deciding whether to allow news media outlets to broadcast parts of securitycamera video from the night of the Quebec City mosque massacre.
The first: freedom of expression. The second: respect for the dignity of crime victims and those who could be psychologically harmed if the videos are shown.
Huot is presiding over the trial of Alexandre Bissonnette, who walked into the Centre culturel islamique de Québec on Jan. 29, 2017, and killed six Muslim men. He pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and six of attempted murder.
Seven media outlets, including the Montreal Gazette, asked Huot to allow part of the mosque videos to be made public.
The Crown has said it plans to use the videos as part of its evidence during the sentencing.
On Tuesday, the second and final day of arguments on the issue, Jean-François Côté, representing media outlets, told Huot that the public has a right to see at least some of the videos the judge will reflect on as he deliberates.
He noted Huot may be asked to impose one of the longest sentences in Canadian history — life in prison without the possibility of parole for 150 years.
Côté said a description of what the videos show would not be enough.
If the judge is going to watch the videos, “it’s fundamental for (the public) to also be allowed to see them for themselves,” he said.
The media are requesting access to selected parts of the videos that would not be shocking and that do not show “raw violence,” Côté said, adding “it was never the media’s intention to broadcast executions.”
Some of the content of the video was discussed in court, but cannot be reported on due to a publication ban.
Côté said the risks of copycat crimes and use of the videos by extremist groups — dangers raised by a prosecution witness — were “hypothetical and speculative.”
Prosecutor Thomas Jacques told Huot the Crown wants the videos kept under wraps and may decide against presenting them as evidence if the judge allows parts of them to be broadcast.
However, Jacques said he would not object to allowing journalists to report in detail what they see in the videos if they are shown in court.
“The videos should not be shown publicly, not in whole or in part,” Jacques told Huot, noting Bissonnette searched online for videos of previous mass murders and others could be inspired by videos from his rampage.
“What is the benefit for the public good? There is no evidence there is any.”
“The proof presented to you is categorical and it shows there are risks and the risks are great,” Jacques added.
He was referring in part to the testimony of Cécile Rousseau, a psychiatrist who specializes in radicalization. After starting her testimony Friday, Rousseau was asked by Huot to watch the videos and return to court.
On Tuesday, she stood by her contention that releasing the recordings could retraumatize witnesses and the general population, encourage copycat crimes and be used by hate groups for propaganda purposes.
She said allowing the media to publish the video would be “cruel and inhumane” for survivors and relatives of those who died.
“The risk of traumatization for the families of the victims and survivors is very great,” Rousseau said. “It will make them feel powerless” and could feed a desire for vengeance among children of those killed or injured.
The video could also be used by hate groups to glorify Bissonnette as “an anti-hero,” she said.
Outside the courtroom, Boufeldja Benabdallah, president of the mosque where the shooting occurred, said the Muslim community is outraged by the media request.
“The videos will travel across Quebec, Canada, the planet and we think it’ll give ideas to others,” he said.
“These images should not circulate, whether it’s (to keep them away from) children, adults or extremists on both sides.”
Soon after the massacre, the mosque opened its doors to the media, allowing them to report on the bullet holes and blood stains so the world could see what happened.
But that was different, Benabdallah said. “Now it’s the real video of the person who did this, who desecrated a place of worship,” he said, adding the community is troubled by the potential for sensationalism.
Charles-Olivier Gosselin, Bissonnette’s lawyer, also objected to the videos being released, saying they could aggrieve victims and psychologically harm Bissonnette’s family. Bissonnette was not in court Tuesday.
The media outlets seeking the videos are the Montreal Gazette, La Presse, Le Soleil, La Presse Canadienne, Radio-Canada/CBC and Quebecor.
Huot is to announce his decision Wednesday morning. Sentencing arguments are to begin Wednesday afternoon.