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
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
As storms moves across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters
A child in Texas died Sunday after being swept away in floodwaters as storms swept across the state.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.