Sexual touching, rape, sexual exploitation. The collective The voice of young people count denounces the scandals that occur in schools and asks political parties to better protect young people.
Posted at 1:20 p.m.
“School is like our second home, we spend all our time there. We wonder if the voice of young people really counts for the government, ”said Theryanne, 17, member of the collective, at a press conference.
The group, which was born almost five years ago in the wake of the #metoo denunciation movement, calls for the creation of a law aimed at preventing and combating sexual violence in elementary and secondary schools in Quebec.
“We are asking for more than a prevention poster in a toilet. We are asking for a law that frames protocols adapted to everyone’s reality so that our right to dignity and security is respected,” said Erika, a member of the collective.
” Shocked ”
On Sunday morning, a dozen young women, aged 11 to 21, testified and spoke directly to party leaders. “I believe all young people should study in a healthy and safe environment,” said Samuela, who has experienced sexual violence herself.
During a physical education class, her teacher came into the locker room while she and her colleagues were changing. “He just stood there looking at us and telling us to hurry up. I was in shock and I was uncomfortable,” she recalled.
She went to inform the director of the situation. “She told me it was okay, he was going to retire soon. His words are still engraved in my skull, ”she drops. “Who can we trust if even the management does not support us and does not act in favor of the students? They prefer to protect the reputation of the school,” she says.
A measurement that is not suitable
Last May, the outgoing government set up the Student Ombudsman. The outgoing Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge, said that with this new measure, the handling of complaints would be “faster, more efficient and more independent”.
This solution is not adapted to the reality of young victims, since it does not offer resources for healing and reparation with victims, does not act in awareness or prevention, does not offer support tools so that the aggressors stop their violent behavior and does not provide support to the families, deplores Megane, also a member of the collective.
Many attacks
Each year in the province, a dozen teaching certificates are revoked for student health and safety issues.
In February, three basketball coaches at Saint-Laurent High School were charged with sex crimes. The Press had also reported that a “super harmful” climate, marked by verbal aggression and intimidation, reigned within the women’s basketball program.
In May, Dominic Blanchette, a teacher at Adélard-Desrosiers elementary school in the Montreal-North borough, was charged with sexual assault on several minors.
At the end of August, Montreal Alouettes fullback Christophe Normand, involved in the education community since 2015, was charged at the Granby courthouse with luring a child under the age of 16 for sexual purposes. .
With Henri Ouellette-Vézina, The Press