By abusing her eight-year-old student, a fallen teacher from Laval tarnished the image of thousands of teachers, a judge lamented before sentencing her to six years behind bars on Friday.
Photo Martin Alarie
Josianne Lévesque, 43, was out last April for sentencing submissions, when she was photographed at the Laval courthouse.
“The accused lamentably failed in her role as an educator. It has tarnished the image of thousands of teachers who devote themselves daily to the good of their students,” judge Serge Cimon told Josianne Lévesque at the Laval courthouse.
In the dock, the 43-year-old stared at the ground behind her blue mask as she listened to the magistrate read his 40-page long judgment. She has been detained since last May, a year after pleading guilty in particular to sexual interference.
At the time, she was the teacher of her victim in the second year of elementary school, in a private college in Montreal. The abuse that lasted 17 months, however, took place in a tutoring context.
Archival photo
His victim now 12 years old, whose identity is protected by a prescription.
The victim is a Superhero
Judge Cimon underlined the “incredible courage” that the boy had from the height of his 10 years. Wanting the abuse to stop, he confessed to his mother in the summer of 2020 that his guardian kissed him on the mouth with her tongue. In the following days, he exposed all the sordid details of the assaults.
“Already, that he denounced, he is a superhero for me”, dropped the magistrate, addressing the parents.
The mother, who cannot be named to protect her son’s identity, is relieved that the judge sided with the sentence proposed by Crown attorney Claudia Ossio. The defense for its part asked for 25 months in prison.
The judge also denounced the manipulation techniques that Lévesque used to achieve his ends. The pedophile won the trust of the family, even becoming a close friend.
“As a parent and as a student, it’s just normal to trust a teacher. It is also for this reason that it was important for us to obtain justice, ”insisted the mother.
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Rewards
The tutor had set up an awards program, taking the boy she was in love with to movies and restaurants for his efforts at school. She took advantage of the moments alone with him to attack him.
And she did everything for him to keep his crimes a secret, often repeating to him that she “could lose everything and go to prison”, the young man had told the Log during an interview this summer.
Among other consequences, someone who has just entered secondary school has nightmares, insomnia and often has flashbacks. As he feels dirty since the attacks, he still washes his hands and body excessively.
what they said
“The accused had received a first signal of alarm. The headmistress of the school had refused to place [la victime] in her third grade class and advised her that she was too close. Rather than follow this advice, she offers her services as a tutor to the family, takes him to her home, and establishes a rewards program. »
– Judge Serge Cimon on the risk of recidivism
“As a teacher, she was supposed to be there to help him with his difficulties at school, not to harm him. Rather, she made her situation worse. No matter the sentence, it would never have been severe enough for me, but I am relieved, because the judge saw through his manipulation game. »
– The victim’s mother, now 12
“The sentence gives precedence to the objectives of deterrence and denunciation. The breach of trust and the very strong bond between the victim and his teacher were also retained. It’s a rewarding judgment [pour la société]. »
– Me Claudia Ossio, Crown Prosecutor