A woman who says she was recruited at 17 to provide sexual services to billionaire Robert Miller will be able to remain anonymous to the public, but will have to reveal her identity to the Montreal businessman so that he can defend himself if she wishes persist in its efforts to take collective action against him, ruled a judge.
The story so far
February 2: Radio-Canada broadcasts a report from the program Investigation on the “Miller system”. Several women say they were recruited when they were minors to offer sexual services for payment to Robert Miller.
February 3: Robert Miller leaves the presidency of Future Electronics, but remains the owner of the multinational distributor of electronic components.
February 22: A collective action request is filed by “SN” on behalf of all the young girls who were allegedly recruited when they were minors to offer sexual services to the businessman.
May 10: Another woman denounces the “Miller Network” and begins an individual civil lawsuit of 8 million.
This was decided by Quebec Superior Court Judge Donald Bisson in the context of the class action lawsuit filed last February against Mr. Miller and his company, Future Electronics. The woman behind the request, however, decided to appeal this decision, in the hope of never having to give her name to the billionaire, according to her lawyer.
“Our client will respect any final decision of the court. For now, she intends to appeal the recent judgment to the Quebec Court of Appeal,” confirmed Ms.e Jeff Orenstein of Consumer Law Group, when The Press joined him.
The aftermath of a shock report
The case stems from a report by Radio-Canada, whose journalists collected the testimonies of a dozen women who say they had sex for money with Robert Miller between 1994 and 2006. Six of them they allegedly claimed that they were minors at the time of the events.
In February, after the story aired, a woman who identifies herself only as “SN” filed a class action lawsuit against Robert Miller and his company seeking damages on behalf of “anyone who provided sexual services to Robert Miller while she was a minor or having been sexually exploited by Mr. Miller while she was a minor”.
The plaintiff claims that her encounters with Mr. Miller had a “serious negative psychological effect” on her. She claims to have felt ashamed, guilty, depressed and self-medicated with drugs and alcohol.
His lawyers say they have been contacted by about 30 women who could join a class action if it is authorized, which is not yet the case at this stage.
Necessary for full answer and defense
As part of the proceedings, the name “SN” can be protected by a publication ban if she wishes, since she alleges that she was the victim of sexual misconduct when she was a minor. But she also told the court that she refused to have her name disclosed to Robert Miller and Future Electronics.
“The lawyers for the defendants indeed asked the plaintiff’s lawyers by e-mail for the identity of the latter, which they were refused by e-mail and even orally during the hearing”, summarizes Judge Bisson in his decision.
The magistrate considered that such a way of proceeding would not allow the defendants to defend themselves within the framework of the class action.
“The right to make full answer and defense requires that the defendants have access to the plaintiff’s name,” he wrote in his judgment.
“The plaintiff must therefore give his name to the defendants and their lawyers, who must all, however, keep it confidential,” he continues. In the case of Future Electronics, which employs hundreds of people, only one representative of the company will be designated to obtain the information, and he will not be able to circulate it.
Anonymous testimonials
The lawyers leading the class action lawsuit had also asked the judge to bar Mr. Miller’s attorney from contacting women to offer them settlements in the case. Two women, who wished to remain anonymous, said they had discussed the matter with the businessman’s lawyer. One of them said that she was offered $72,000 to settle the matter without resorting to class action.
As these two women refused to disclose their names to Robert Miller’s lawyers during the proceedings, the judge did not take their statements into account and did not order the lawyer anything with regard to possible meetings with women involved in the file.
Robert Miller has always denied the allegations against him. He left the management of Future Electronics, but remains the owner of the Quebec multinational he founded in 1968. He claims that people attack him to obtain money.
“Mr. Miller strongly and vehemently denies the malicious allegations made against him and confirms that they are false and completely unsubstantiated and that they were raised following an acrimonious divorce. They are now being repeated for financial gain,” said a statement released by his company in February.