A man who had volunteered to lend a hand in a CHSLD at the worst of the pandemic would have taken the opportunity to sexually assault an extremely vulnerable resident. Florent Francœur, former CEO of the Order of Certified Human Resources Advisors, denied committing the crime Monday at his sexual assault trial.
Lucretia Rosean is categorical: she saw Florent Francœur “touching the genitals” of the complainant on August 2, 2020. “She had her legs apart. The hand was there, ”testified the nursing assistant, mimicking the position of the accused’s hand.
The plaintiff suffers from many ailments: paralysis on the right side, severe aphasia and severe cognitive impairment. She only communicates by moving an arm and blinking her eyes. Lucretia Rosean had been taking care of her for a few years at the CHSLD Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci, in the north of Montreal.
That day, Lucretia Rosean had noticed that Florent Francœur had entered the complainant’s room several times “without reason”.
It was the first time she had seen this “service aide” hired during the pandemic. When she saw him enter, then close the door, despite the woman not ringing the bell for help, Lucretia Rosean went to check.
“He touched the genitals, without gloves. There was no sheet, no panties. […] I started screaming. I said, “Get out of the room, I’ll call the police!” He was surprised, he quickly pulled his hand away. He made a gesture to clean his hands on his pants, ”said the auxiliary nurse with aplomb.
Deregistered for life in 2018
Big boss for two decades of the professional order of 12,000 human resources workers, Florent Francœur was removed for life from his order in 2018 for having had intimate relations with several employees under his supervision.
In the spring of 2020, Florent Francœur responded to Prime Minister François Legault’s call by registering on the “I contribute” platform to work in the health network during the first wave of COVID-19. At the time, there was such a lack of manpower that the government hired people with no training.
“I was a retiree who had come to help out during the pandemic,” he sums up.
Florent Francœur has become a “service aide” at the CHSLD Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci. He offered to work in a “hot zone”, where the residents with COVID-19 were. “When I arrived, it was really a war zone,” he says.
Her duties included touring rooms, feeding residents, and making phone calls between residents and loved ones. Florent Francœur says it could take up to an hour to feed a single resident.
In mid-July, Florent Francœur was moved to the complainant’s wing. It rang every 15 minutes for many reasons, he said, dubbing it the “queen of the bell” in cross-examination. “She was pointing at the diapers to show us that some were missing. She was able to point out all her needs to us, ”says the accused.
On August 2, around noon, Florent Francœur began his rounds of the rooms when he saw the complainant changing, lying on her bed. He decides to pick up the incontinence pants, since he will have to do it sooner or later.
He puts on gloves, enters the room and tries to pick up the panties. However, the velcro of the panties remained “stuck on the” middle of the back “of the lady, he says. The auxiliary nurse arrived as he was trying to pull the Velcro.
“In no case did I touch Madame’s genitals. I repeat, I touched the outer side of the thigh to remove the bandage, ”he assured. He agrees that the complainant’s genitals were “exposed”, but it was nothing “significant” in the context of her work.
” Suspicions ”
The cross-examination made it possible to learn that several employees had “suspicions” with regard to Florent Francœur. His superior had also met him, because he went “too often” to the complainant’s room, said Crown prosecutor M.e Charles Doucet. The defendant also denied having asked to do the “hygienic care” of the woman, as indicated by the prosecutor.
In a tense exchange, Florent Francœur let go that the complainant had not struggled and had not shouted, when she “could easily have expressed her disgust”. “She doesn’t even speak!” exclaimed M.e Sweet. “She could have screamed,” retorted the accused.
“Maybe she knew very well that you were going to fondle because you had already done it?” “, then asked the prosecutor.
“I can swear to God that I never touched Madame’s genitals,” defended the accused, represented by Mr.e Lucia Joncas.
Oral arguments are scheduled for Tuesday before Judge Martin Chalifour.