A man who sexually assaulted a young girl on multiple occasions has been sentenced to 6 years in prison. Daniel Laferrière’s crimes had devastating consequences on the girl and her family who are still struggling to recover years later.
“So much the very existence of the after-effects […] that their considerable magnitude are here very well documented, supported and convincing,” indicated Judge Ann-Mary Beauchemin, emphasizing the terms “existence” and “magnitude” in her judgment rendered last Friday at the Longueuil courthouse. The judge even mentions “indelible” marks for the victim.
Post-traumatic shock, self-harm, hypervigilance, insomnia, panic attacks, suicidal ideation, etc. There is no need to explain that the young victim was branded by what she suffered at the hands of Daniel Laferrière. The teenager is just starting to get back on her feet, but her condition remains fragile.
The 49-year-old Brossard resident was found guilty last July of sexual interference, incitement to sexual contact and sexual assault. He has since appealed the judgment. His victim, whose identity is protected, was a little girl from his entourage.
Daniel Laferrière occasionally babysat the victim at the time. He then took the opportunity to attack her. He thus made gestures of a sexual nature on around ten occasions. In particular, he touched the child’s genitals and forced her to touch his penis. They also viewed pornography.
“This was not an isolated act, but rather repeated and relatively frequent sexual abuse spread over a period of at least a year if not more, when the victim was only 10 or 11 years old” , argues Judge Beauchemin.
Daniel Laferrière, a former machinist, shows no remorse. In fact, he still maintains his innocence. Judge Beauchemin concluded at the end of the trial that her explanations were neither reliable, nor plausible, nor probable. The victim was “credible, transparent, candid and sincere”, according to the judge.
The Crown asked for 7 years in penitentiary, while the defense hoped for 4 years of detention. The judge finally decided with a sentence of 6 years of imprisonment.
In the absence of an expert report, the judge considers that the risk of recurrence “remains possible, even probable”. It also considers around ten aggravating factors: psychological manipulation, young age and vulnerability of the victim, intrusive gestures, etc. There are few mitigating factors, apart from the lack of history.
“Mature offenders who exploit children by abusing them to satisfy their base sexual instincts must be adequately punished,” asserts the judge, recalling the teachings of the Supreme Court. In the Friesen decision, the Court toughened penalties for crimes against children.
Me François Parent represented the public prosecutor, while Me Rémy Cournoyer-Quintal defended the accused.