On Thursday, August 22, former Cedars resident Clairmont Ouellet received a 12-month prison sentence to be served at his home in New Brunswick, in connection with three charges of assault, criminal harassment and voyeurism for which he pleaded guilty. 

A conditional stay of proceedings was imposed on counts 1 to 6. 

At the time of the events, which occurred while the man was living in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, he was in a position of authority over the victim, who was a minor. A publication ban prevents us from divulging any further information about the victim, in order to protect her identity. 

However, the victim was present at the Valleyfield courthouse to testify about the consequences of the accused's actions on her. Courageously, she approached Judge Marie-Chantal Doucet to tell her story and to be heard, both by the judiciary and by the accused seated nearby. 

During her presentation, she spoke of inappropriate comments made about her by the accused. She spoke of her feelings of guilt about the man's alleged molestation of her as a child. 

The victim explained that she wore long, loose-fitting clothes, even during the summer, to avoid the accused's derogatory comments about her. She even began to put on weight so that the comments would stop. This decision caused her to develop complexes about her physique, which she still carries to this day, she added. 

In addition to suffering from depression, the victim has to deal with generalized anxiety disorder on a daily basis. However, she said she was happy to see the legal process come to an end, as she will now be able to take care of herself and concentrate on healing. 

Actions with far-reaching consequences 

“We understand from the victim's account that the acts were committed and the comments were made at a pivotal age. The consequences are enormous, and the victim still has to deal with them today, years after the fact,” said Crown prosecutor Kim Émond. 

Defense lawyer Alexandre Dubé noted that the accused now lives in New Brunswick, a Maritime province. “It's an additional barrier that can reassure the victim, to know that he no longer lives in the region.”  

A common suggestion in the case 

The common sentence suggested by law enforcement officials in this case was a 12-month conditional sentence, with 3 years' probation and various conditions to be met. It was ratified by Judge Doucet. 

These included keeping the peace, remaining in New Brunswick unless he had written notice from the Court to the contrary, having no contact with the victim or his family, and not being present at the home, school or workplace of the victim or his family. 

He is also forbidden to be in the presence of minors, either personally or professionally, unless the adults accompanying them are aware of the accusations against him. He is also prohibited from referring to the victim and her relatives on social networks. Mr. Ouellet is also prohibited from possessing offensive weapons for the next ten years. 

As part of his conditional sentence, the accused must remain at home at all times for the next 5 months, barring exceptions such as medical appointments. Thereafter, for the following seven months, he may leave his residence, but must be there between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. every evening, unless otherwise specified.

Thereafter, he will be on probation for three years, during which time he will also have to comply with several conditions. “My client lives in New Brunswick and has had no contact with the victim or her family since the incident. The likelihood of him being in contact with minors in his daily life is quite low. It's good that the victim came to explain the impact of the man's actions on her, because it's the first time my client has been able to realize it. I hope this will help him in his rehabilitation process,” said the accused's lawyer, Alexandre Dubé. 

Before handing down her sentence, Judge Marie-Chantal Doucet made a point of addressing the victim. “Thank you for your testimony before the court.  I'm going to order the stenographic notes of your testimony to be filed in the record, so that the accused can consult and reread them. It's important to come and tell your story in court, because the accused can hear it and understand the scope of your actions. My conclusion is that your physical and sexual integrity were violated during the commission of the accused's actions. As jurists, we have access to concrete evidence, but rarely to the human impact caused to victims in this type of case. I hope you'll get the help you need to better deal with this situation.” 

She also urged the accused to comply with all the conditions imposed as part of his sentence, failing which he could find himself behind bars.