The report by coroner Stéphanie Gamache on the death of Marylène Levesque deeply shocked us and we see, once again, how much violence against women is trivialized and underestimated.
Perhaps the electronic bracelet could have saved Madame Levesque’s life, we will never know. But it’s safe to say that not denouncing the parole board’s decision and blaming it for the disgusting murder of this young woman in no way protects other women from violence.
Male violence against women is unfortunately very present in our society and its causes are very well known. This violence is first and foremost a matter of CONTROL. This did not prevent an institution like the Commission from allowing this violent man to frequent massage parlors. This authorization was even included in his intervention plan. This observation is, in itself, absurd!
Massage parlors are recognized as places of sexual exploitation where many women are victims of human trafficking. We are working to prevent young women from entering prostitution, have we passed laws criminalizing the purchase of sex acts, and a commission has authorized a criminal on parole to commit a criminal act? To teach him how to have “healthy” relationships with women? Funny intervention plan! And a coroner does not note the inconsistency and the responsibility that this represents?
The coroner chose to focus on the compulsory wearing of the electronic bracelet. It is much less disturbing and less engaging for society to imagine that an object can serve as a shield to protect women. She neglected to make any links between the willful blindness represented by this decision of the Commission and the real danger in which she placed Ms. Levesque when she finally forbade this man to go to the massage parlor, but that she did not do any particular follow-up to verify whether it circumvented this ban.
This neglect comes on top of a series of feminicides that shakes society and brings us back to the trivialization of violence against women. This makes us fear for the rest of things.
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