Former Quebec producer Gilbert Rozon was acquitted Wednesday in Montreal of charges of rape and indecent assault on a young woman in 1980, for which he faced a prison sentence.
In her judgment, Judge Mélanie Hébert considered that the trial, which opposed two contradictory versions, had not made it possible to conclude that Mr. Rozon was guilty "
beyond a reasonable doubt
".
"
This Tuesday, December 15 will remain a dark day for all victims of sexual assault in Quebec
", reacted immediately Annick Charette, who decided to disclose his identity until then protected by justice.
“
I think I am another example of the limits of the justice system when it comes to sexual violence.
», She added to the media.
Read also: Canada: the prosecutor calls for the conviction of Gilbert Rozon for rape
At the end of his trial on November 6, the representative of the public prosecutor had called for the conviction of Mr. Rozon, judging that the version of the facts that he delivered during the hearings "
defies logic
".
On the contrary, Mr. Rozon's defense considered that his client should be acquitted with the benefit of the doubt, because of the “
inconsistencies
” and “
lapses of memory
” of the complainant in her account of the facts, which occurred in 1980 when she was only 20 years old.
Ms. Charette had claimed that Mr. Rozon had tried to kiss her and take off her underwear while they were alone in a house north of Montreal.
She had resisted, he had not insisted and they had each slept in a separate room.
What happened the next morning has been the subject of radically opposed accounts.
The complainant said she woke up because the former humor mogul was on top of her, to have sex.
Although not consenting, she finally gave in to "be
able to move on
."
Mr. Rozon, 25 at the time, said he was woken up because the young woman was "
astride
" him "
making love
".
He admitted having been "
consenting
" while affirming that the sexual relation had been forced on him.
The founder of the group "
Just for Laughs
" had been splashed by accusations of sexual assault in October 2017, which forced him to leave his position in full movement #MeToo.
Only the complaint of a woman had finally been accepted by justice.