Judge considers banishing rapist

Man, 49, targeted elderly women in Alexandria

A convicted rapist who preys on elderly women might be banished from his hometown.

The judge deciding the fate of André Taillefer said in a recent ruling that keeping him from setting foot in Alexandria — 100 kilometres southeast of Ottawa — would not only protect and reassure the town’s elderly women but “significantly reduce, if not eliminate” the sex criminal’s access to his victims. The judge made his comments in May 4 ruling that denied the Crown’s bid to label Taillefer a dangerous offender.

For years, Taillefer has targeted elderly women in Alexandria in a series of home invasions with disturbing sexual overtones.

His most serious conviction was in 2001 for breaking into an elderly woman’s home and raping her. Taillefer, 49, was sentenced to eight years at the old Kingston Penitentiary, where he sometimes refused treatment, and when he did participate, showed little insight into the impact on his victims.

Notes from a psychiatrist and nursing staff at the Royal Ottawa Hospital show that when Taillefer was assessed by them in the summer of 2011, he was threatening and sent back to jail early as a result.

Taillefer had a short fuse, bragged about his fighting prowess, and flirted with female staff.

He also refused treatment for addiction and threatened to beat up a fellow patient.

Taillefer — whose lengthy criminal record dates back to the 1980s — is again before the courts, this time for stalking an elderly woman from his jail cell.

In two separate periods in 2008 and 2012, Taillefer mailed a series of unwanted letters from jail to an elderly woman who knew about his rape conviction.

In all, Taillefer sent 104 letters that were suggestive and at times sexually explicit. The letter campaign left the woman living in fear.

Taillefer was convicted of criminal harassment in December 2013, and the Crown filed a motion to brand him as a dangerous offender for the public’s protection.

Though Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Pelletier denied the Crown’s bid to put him away for an indeterminate period, the judge said in a May 4 decision that Pelletier’s risk to the public could be managed by a jail sentence, long-term supervision, and the rarely used punishment of banishment.

The judge added that under his proposed scenario, Taillefer — after serving a sentence — would be under a strict, long-term supervision order and prohibited from setting foot in all of Glengarry County and his hometown of Alexandria.

Taillefer is well-known in Alexandria and has a lot of connections, including ones that could lead him to his target victims. Pelletier noted that Taillefer has an uncle who is a deacon at the local parish and a friend who works with the elderly.

The judge also commented on Taillefer’s release plan, saying he really didn’t have one. He noted that he has a supportive girlfriend who can help to keep him on track once released, but said their relationship has never been tested since they’ve never lived together. Moreover, the judge noted that Taillefer’s latest crime for harassing an elderly woman happened after he’d met his girlfriend.

The judge also noted that Taillefer doesn’t want to get a job after prison because he doesn’t see the need.

The judge is awaiting sentencing submissions from the prosecutor and defence lawyer before he decides Taillefer’s fate.