Quebec is turning its gaze to Ottawa to better fight against the scourge of the sexual exploitation of minors, and to increase the penalties imposed on pimps.
The strengthening of the repression against customers and pimps is part of the action plan against the sexual exploitation of minors made public at a press conference on Friday by the Minister of Public Security, Geneviève Guilbault.
Based on the observation that all too often the pimps who transform teenage girls into sex slaves get away with light sentences, the Legault government would like to see the penalties provided for in the Criminal Code strengthened, which is the responsibility of the federal government.
Minister Guilbault was able to meet for the first time with her new federal counterpart, Marco Mendicino, and took the opportunity to sensitize him to the importance of toughening up the tone against pimps by making the penalties more dissuasive, especially when These are sexual services involving underage girls.
“I made her my little grocery list and sexual exploitation first” on the list, she told a press conference, releasing her five-year action plan, containing 37 measures , with a total budget of $ 150 million.
“I felt him very open, very interested,” she added.
Referring to the fact that the government of Justin Trudeau is deemed to place itself at the center-left of the political spectrum, being little focused on repressive measures, Ms. Guilbault said she hoped that it will be an exception in terms of the fight against sexual exploitation of young people.
“I’m going to tell him that I think sexual exploitation, of all offenses, could be among those for which a party that is not necessarily focused on repression could afford to be. We can be progressive, but at one point, procuring sickens everyone, even people more to the left, ”commented the Minister.
“Breaking the cycle of sexual exploitation”
Most of the measures contained in the action plan entitled “Breaking the cycle of sexual exploitation” had already been made public. Friday’s press conference served to mark the occasion, one year to the day after the publication of a comprehensive report on the issue, which contained 58 recommendations made by a trans-partisan parliamentary committee.
From then on, the Legault government had undertaken to raise the fight in all its forms to the sexual exploitation of minors, the vast majority of girls, to the rank of national priorities, and to take action before the end of the mandate. .
The report in question was produced by a group of 13 deputies, from all political parties, who looked into this issue for 18 months. He had come to the conclusion that the utmost importance should be given to the scourge of the sexual exploitation of young girls, often runaway teenagers whose lives are screwed up overnight by unscrupulous pimps who turn them into sex slaves. .
The authors of the report, who had gone through 63 briefs and heard 67 witnesses, aimed both to intensify the crackdown on pimps and clients, while ensuring better protection and information for young victims, some of whom were only 12 or 13. years.
Recommendation 28 of the report aimed to shine a spotlight on the flaws in the judicial process, stressing that the sentences imposed on pimps were far too light, especially when the culprit exploited several young girls. The Quebec government was therefore asked to put pressure on Ottawa to promote the entry into force of a provision authorizing the imposition of consecutive sentences in cases involving the trafficking of persons under the age of 18.
“This can send a dissuasive message, we hope,” commented Liberal MP Christine St-Pierre, who was part of the commission that studied this issue and who was committed to this recommendation. “The federal government must take its responsibilities” in this file, especially to strengthen the repressive measures, according to her.
In a transpartisan approach, the three opposition parties were present at the press conference.
Additional police resources
Two-thirds of the sums ($ 100 million) paid into the action plan are also intended for measures intended for the police and the judiciary, measures already announced in June. This includes the hiring of 77 additional resources for the police teams responsible for combating this form of exploitation, more investigations carried out on pimping and human trafficking networks, monitoring activities of social networks, more ” client operations ”deployed, the creation of an integrated team to fight against the production and distribution of child pornography, as well as the hiring of additional resources for the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP).
The action plan also plans to intervene on other fronts: university research, an awareness campaign, prevention and support for young victims to help them rebuild themselves, when they manage to escape the clutches of their pimp.
The trade in young girls, which continues to grow in Quebec, is lucrative: it is estimated that each of them can bring in up to $ 300,000 per year to its pimp. Reduced to a simple commodity, it itself will often not pocket a penny.
It has been shown that Quebec has become a hub for the sexual exploitation of young people in Canada.
According to the consultation document produced by the commission that produced the report, it was estimated that a man seeking sexual services from a minor adolescent could find it in more than 600 establishments in Quebec, and especially in the metropolis, where it is would count some 330 places linked to the sex industry: dance bars, massage parlors and escort agencies.