The National Assembly asks Ottawa to amend the Criminal Code to prohibit community imprisonment for those convicted of sexual assault.
Such a sentence constitutes a “setback in the fight against sexual violence”, denounced Wednesday the 125 Quebec deputies by unanimously adopting a motion on this subject.
Since 2007, it was no longer possible for judges to impose a “house arrest” sentence in sexual assault cases. But the Liberal government’s Bill C-5 — since passed into law last November — amended the Criminal Code to once again allow prison sentences to be served in the community, also known as “conditional sentences of imprisonment.” »
This “goes against the efforts made to rebuild the confidence of victims in the justice system”, is it also written in the motion.
The Criminal Code must be amended to make the offense of sexual assault ineligible for community imprisonment, the National Assembly is calling for.
The conclusion is unanimous: C-5 is a setback in the fight against sexual violence and undermines the confidence of victims in the justice system.
The 125 deputies of the National Assembly ask the federal government to rectify the situation.#polqc #polcan pic.twitter.com/ynf1uOAVxM
— Simon Jolin-Barrette (@SJB_CAQ) February 15, 2023
A few days earlier, the Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette had already taken a position on his twitter account: “Bill C-5, recently adopted by the federal government, goes against the efforts we are making to prevent victims from hesitating to denounce and lodge a complaint. The federal government needs to get it right. »
Bill C-5 was introduced as a legislative initiative aimed at addressing the overrepresentation of Indigenous, Black and marginalized offenders in custodial facilities and reducing the use of incarceration, according to the website of the federal ministry of justice. The conditional sentence order allows the offender to serve their sentence in the community subject to strict conditions, such as home confinement, curfew and therapy.
This type of sentencing in sexual assault cases has been in the news recently.
One such case that has made headlines is that of Sobhi Akra, 39, who pleaded guilty in January 2022 to sexually assaulting eight women, including two minors. His lawyer requested that he serve his prison sentence at home. He is awaiting the judge’s decision.
Shortly before him, Jonathan Gravel, 42, was sentenced to 20 months in prison to be served in the community for non-consensual anal penetration.