The defamation trial of Val-d’Or police officers against Radio-Canada opened Monday morning at the Montreal courthouse, more than eight years after the broadcast of the show’s report. Investigationin which indigenous women from Val-d’Or recounted having suffered abuse from the Sureté du Québec police officers.
Both sides made their opening statements Monday morning. “The plaintiffs, who are now 42 police officers, explained what they were going to provide as evidence. They believe that the journalistic investigation was not done well while we, for our part, explained that the report was of incontestable public interest,” summarized Radio-Canada lawyer, Me Geneviève Gagnon. , on the sidelines of the trial.
“We intend to demonstrate that the journalistic investigation was well done: it is a report which won numerous awards, which subsequently caused a lot of noise and which had a significant impact on Quebec society,” said she added.
The police filed their defamation suit in October 2016, a year after the report was broadcast. They are asking for around $3 million.
The first witnesses will be called to appear Wednesday morning. Until then, the parties are considering preliminary motions, including a request for a publication ban. The trial is scheduled to last 13 weeks, until May 10.
The duty was not able to speak with the police officers’ lawyer, Mr. Marco Gaggino.
Investigations
The report “Abuse of the SQ, indigenous women break the silence” was broadcast in October 2015 on the program Investigation. Journalist Josée Dupuis gave the floor to women from Val-d’Or who reported having been victims of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of SQ police officers.
The next day, the Minister of Public Security at the time asked the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) to open an investigation into these allegations. Police officers were suspended following this investigation. A year later, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) finally decided not to bring charges against the police officers, due to lack of evidence.
The report served as a spark for the establishment of the commission of inquiry into the relationship between indigenous people and public services, better known as the Viens Commission.