Karine* has no choice. She must hit another woman. Otherwise she will be beaten “ten times harder” by their executioner. The man then forces him to clean up the blood. An ultra-violent pimp, who made two young women go through hell, could be declared a dangerous offender.
Frédérick Francillon pleaded guilty Monday to numerous charges, including human trafficking, assault, false imprisonment and sexual assault. His trial was to begin at the Montreal courthouse. In the corridor, at the end of the hearing, the victims seemed particularly moved by the outcome.
The 43-year-old man has a long criminal past: he was just released from seven years of detention for torturing and forcing a woman into prostitution. Due to his history, the Crown requested the Court that the accused be assessed to determine whether he should be declared a long-term or dangerous offender. These labels are reserved for the worst criminals.
October 2022. Frédérick Francillon meets Magalie* at a party. The start of a nightmare for the young woman. As soon as they met, Francillon strongly encouraged him to use crack. She will become addicted to this hard drug. Magalie then begins to prostitute herself, under the influence of the pimp.
Frédérick Francillon is very violent: he slaps Magalie in the face and threatens to “stab” her with a knife. The young woman wants to leave, but the pimp refuses. From then on, he constantly insults Magalie and controls her actions. She has to make several “customers” and hand over every dollar.
In November 2022, Frédérick Francillon meets Karine in front of a convenience store. He compliments her and sees her again the next day. During sex, she asks him to stop hitting her, but he continues. Karine also witnesses numerous episodes of extreme violence.
Once, Frédérick Francillon hits Magalie and tells her that she is “lucky”, because she would have died if Karine was not present. Another time, he surprises Magalie talking with another man on an application. He then questions her, hitting her with each evasive response. He ends up dragging her to the living room, insulting her.
Karine is under Francillon’s influence: she is not allowed to go to school or to work and does not have access to her cell phone. She is forced to hit Magalie and answer to the “customers” for her. She is the victim of numerous abuses during sexual relations. He will even burn her with a crack pipe to force her to consume it.
On another occasion, when Magalie refuses to use drugs, he smashes her head against the wall. She, too, became addicted to crack.
Francillon regularly walks around with a knife according to the victims. An allegation he denies. It also has a fire starter in the shape of a mini-gun. Women feel like it’s a real gun. Frédérick Francillon threatens to harm their family if they leave or call the police.
The pimp begins to extort money from his victims: Karine gives him her savings and asks her relatives to “help” her to pay for her school. He then wrote to Magalie’s “clients” and posed as a police officer to ask them for funds.
Their nightmare ends when Karine writes to a friend to ask for help. The friend then alerted the police. But Karine fears her tormentor too much to speak. To get her out of the apartment, the policewoman fakes her arrest. He is then arrested.
The case returns to court next December.
Me Christine Desjarlais represents the public prosecutor, while Me Gaétan Bourassa defends the offender.
*Fictitious name