Michel Venne was sentenced Tuesday at the Quebec City courthouse to six months in prison for sexually assaulting documentary filmmaker Léa Clermont-Dion, but the former journalist will not stay behind bars for long.
His lawyers were to quickly request his provisional release, since the Court of Appeal agreed last September to hear his challenge to the guilty verdict pronounced against him last June.
Michel Venne, former director and founding member of the Institut du nouveau monde, now 61 years old, was convicted of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of Ms. Clermont-Dion, actions that occurred while she was only 17 years old and was an intern at the Institute. He had indulged in unwanted touching by the young woman, then a teenager, in August 2008.
He was punishable by 45 days to 10 years in jail, but the six-month sentence was a joint suggestion by the Crown and the defense, which was endorsed by Judge Stéphane Poulin, of the Court of Quebec. . It is accompanied by an entry of Mr. Venne in the register of sex offenders for a period of 20 years.
He was escorted in handcuffs out of the courtroom.
The date for the hearing of his appeal has not yet been set and could take several months. His lawyers cite errors of law in the decision rendered by Justice Poulin.
Léa Clermont-Dion had herself asked that the order which prohibited revealing her identity be lifted. She had made a statement after the verdict of guilty, saying that she wanted “shame to change sides”.
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