Anti-feminist blogger who worshipped Polytechnique shooter sentenced to one year
Anti-feminist blogger Jean-Claude Rochefort, 74, has been sentenced to a year in prison for wilfully promoting hatred towards women.
Rochefort openly glorified the Polytechnique shooter, who claimed the lives of 14 women in 1989 as part of an anti-feminist attack.
He repeatedly referred to the killer on his blog, which had a following of thousands of men associated with the "incel" movement, a contraction of the words "involuntary celibates."
Judge Pierre Labrie rejected the nine-month house arrest sentence sought by the defence. The offence carries a maximum of two years.
Rochefort will also be on probation for three years following his release.
During this period, he will be prohibited from possessing weapons and writing anything on the internet connected to the content for which he was convicted. In addition, he will be banned from going near the Université de Montréal or the Université de Québec in Montreal.
Jean-Claude Rochefort (2010 file photo)
Crown prosecutor Jérôme Laflamme said the conviction demonstrates a growing trend of punishing crimes against women more severely.
"This is an offence that is insidious. [It's] another example of violence against women that was taken seriously by the judge and the court," he said.
Speaking to reporters before his sentencing, Jean-Claude Rochefort expressed little remorse for his actions.
He described himself as a "victim," "prophet," "martyr" and a "great persecutor" of the Quebec state. He stressed he was only expressing his "philosophical opinions" and that he had no responsibility for the Polytechnique massacre because he "did not kill anyone."
Rochefort has long been known for publishing hateful comments online.
In 2009, he was arrested and charged with public incitement to hatred a few days before the mass femicide's 20th anniversary commemoration.
But he got away with it on a technicality: the notion of "identifiable group" linked to the offence, as outlined in the Criminal Code at the time, only applied to distinctions based on "colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation" -- not on sex.
The court therefore concluded in 2010 that women were not a group explicitly protected by the section of the law in question, and the charges were dismissed.
However, the law has since evolved -- in part because of Rochefort -- and the concept of an identifiable group has expanded considerably to include national origin, age, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability, and sex."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 27, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.