Former PQ leader Andre Boisclair pleads guilty to sexual assault charges
WARNING: Some may find the details in this story disturbing
Former Parti Quebecois (PQ) leader André Boisclair pleaded guilty Monday to sexually assaulting two young men he met online in separate incidents.
The 56-year-old entered the plea at the Montreal courthouse Monday, avoiding a trial after initially requesting one by judge alone following his arrest in 2020.
He pled guilty to one count of sexual assault with the assistance of a third party against one victim relating to an incident in 2014. He also pled guilty to sexual assault in relation to an incident involving another man in 2015.
According to an agreed statement of facts, he was 48 at the time of the first incident when he invited to his home a man in his early 20s whom he met on an online dating app. But when he arrived at Boisclair's apartment, two other men were already there, and the date turned into a nightmare, he said.
Boisclair began consuming drugs that were on full display, court heard, and he became aggressive. He held his victim by the torso and ordered his accomplices to sexually assault the young man, who had made it clear he didn't want to have sex.
The young man went to the police and when a warrant for his arrest was reported by the media, a second man came forward with a very similar allegation of a date that went horribly wrong.
In that case, the 22-year-old met Boisclair at his home. When he tried to leave, the former politician tried to hold him back to force himself upon him.
The identities of the victims are shielded by a publication ban. Both men read emotional victim impact statements, telling the court they knew who Boisclair was and trusted him at the time.
One said he was a young, ambitious social activist interested in politics, but that after the assault, his life was turned upside down. He dropped out of university before he sank into a deep depression and had suicidal thoughts.
The second victim said he was barely starting to accept his own coming out at the time, and that the sexual assault traumatized him to the point it took him years to start dating again. To this day, he still lives in shame and is unable to trust others.
Crown prosecutor Jerome Laflamme praised the complainants for coming forward.
"Sexual assault cases are always difficult, but it's my job. I will have to say the plaintiffs in this file made my job easy for always being present and collaborative," Laflamme said.
The Crown and defence made a joint submission on sentencing for a term of two years less a day in jail for the crimes. The judge told the court a decision on sentencing will be handed down on July 18. Until then, Boisclair is out on bail.
Boisclair renounced his right to a preliminary inquiry in both cases last September and elected to go straight to trial by judge alone prior to entering the plea on Monday.
The former party leader was also facing a count of sexual assault with a weapon in the first case, but the charge was dropped Monday afternoon.
Boisclair was a provincial cabinet minister and served as PQ leader between 2005 and 2007 when the party was in opposition.
He was later Quebec's delegate general in New York from 2012 to 2013 and was president of the Urban Development Institute of Quebec from 2016 until his arrest.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.