The fallen engineer who originally got a pardon for sexually assaulting a drunk friend will already be able to get out of jail, though there’s still a long way to go to fully understand consent.
• Read also: Engineer Simon Houle pleads guilty to breach of probation
• Read also: The judge who absolved Simon Houle did not commit an ethical fault
“You are able to identify the consequences for the victims and to name that you will do everything in your abilities to no longer make other victims”, indicated this Thursday the Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles (CQLC) by granting Simon Swells the right to go to a halfway house, as part of a preparatory release for parole.
Houle, 32, is this ex-engineer guilty of sex crimes committed during a party in Trois-Rivières in 2019. He then sexually abused a drunk friend to attack her, even going so far as to take pictures of her naked.
Photo taken from Simon Houle’s Facebook page
Judge Matthieu Poliquin, however, felt that he did not deserve a criminal record, so as not to harm his career. This decision had caused an outcry and the Court of Appeal had ruled that Houle, who has since lost his title of engineer, should instead serve a year in prison.
Some progress
In prison since last January, Houle was described by the CQLC as a man “who had difficulty approaching women”.
“Your ties with women consist primarily of impersonal relationships and one-night stands,” the decision reads.
However, since his arrest, Houle seems to have made his way, drinking less and consulting a psychologist. But that wasn’t enough, since just after getting the initial absolution, he flew to Cuba, where he grabbed a Quebec woman’s buttocks and told her, “It wasn’t me, it was was my hands.”
Upon his return to the country, the woman had filed a complaint with the police, but since the act had been committed outside Canada, he had not been charged with sexual assault, but rather with breach of probation, which had earned him 75 hours of community work.
Motivated to walk
Houle therefore still has a long way to go, but he seems motivated, according to the commissioners. He is also dating a woman, whom he has known for “several years and for whom the mutual love interest has recently developed”.
During his hearing, he also assured that he wanted to “understand the reasons” behind his problematic behavior. Thus, “despite unfavorable elements” in his case, he was able to get out of prison.
“The objectives of your correctional intervention plan can be worked on in the community,” concluded the commissioners.