(Saint-Jérôme) A former specialist educator who had numerous sexual relations with a very vulnerable 16-year-old teenager was sentenced to 40 months in prison on Wednesday at the Saint-Jérôme courthouse. Two years later, Geneviève Rioux still evokes an “atypical romantic relationship” and her “heartache”.
Posted at 1:41 p.m.
“The great vulnerability of this teenager who lives with several problems adds to the responsibility [de l’accusée] “, said judge Sophie Lavergne, noting many aggravating factors in this case of sexual assault on a minor. The judge thus rejected the very lenient suggestion of prison on the weekend proposed by the defense.
Geneviève Rioux, 44, pleaded guilty last summer to two counts of sexual assault committed in 2018 and 2019 against a 16-year-old teenager. The latter had developed a “fusional dependency” relationship with his educator because of his developmental problems. The victim refused as well as other interveners than the accused take care of him.
Like a “mother”
After the teenager’s departure from school, Geneviève Rioux maintained contact with him and committed acts of a sexual nature from August 2018. In addition to kisses and fellatio, the attacker also had sex with the teenager on several occasions in his car and at his home. The boy considered Geneviève Rioux as a “mother”.
After her first arrest, Geneviève Rioux was released in January 2019. She, however, ignored court orders and continued her illegal relationship with the teenager by sexually assaulting him again.
In principle, a 16-year-old is capable of consenting to a sexual relationship with an adult. However, when there is a relationship of authority between the two people, this consent does not apply, as in the present case, especially since the adolescent was experiencing significant personal difficulties.
“A special education teacher created a climate of dependency and took advantage of this situation. Even if the acts did not take place at school or while she was on duty, the dependency was created in this context and she maintained this dependency after the young person had left, ”explained the judge. Lavergne.
Love, an aggravating factor
During the sentencing submissions, Geneviève Rioux continued to speak of an “atypical romantic relationship”. She explained that she was then living in a “fairy tale”. ” [L’accusée] refers to this period as a great pain of ‘love’”, says the judge. Concerning remarks, according to the magistrate.
In this regard, Judge Lavergne clearly refused to consider as a mitigating factor, as suggested by the defense, the alleged consent of the teenager in the context of this so-called “romantic” relationship. On the contrary, it could rather be an aggravating factor, in the eyes of the Supreme Court.
The Crown prosecutor, Mr.and Caroline Lafeur, claimed four years in prison, emphasizing the surprising “double standard” of punishment when the aggressor is female.
Among the mitigating factors, the judge considered the defendant’s admission of guilt and her parental responsibilities. However, the list of aggravating factors is very long, which justifies the sentence of three years and four months in prison.