A special education teacher who sexually exploited a vulnerable student for three years and “officially” formed a couple with her received a three-year prison sentence on Wednesday morning.
Véronie Campeau pleaded guilty in March to charges of sexual contact with a minor under 16, incitement to sexual contact and sexual exploitation.
The victim, a student in difficulty, was 13 years old when the touching began. Véronie Campeau was then a special education teacher in a school in eastern Montreal. The 41-year-old woman was in a position of authority over the teenager, who cannot be named under a court order.
“While she should have supported her, she took advantage of the proximity with the victim to initiate an intimate relationship,” said judge Anne-Marie Lanctôt on Wednesday morning at the Montreal courthouse.
The young victim’s relatives “let things go” without questioning the longer-term impacts, she indicates in her decision.
The Press reported in March that many people, including the student’s family, knew that the special education teacher had sexual contact with the teenager.
“All looked down for different reasons,” a police report said. The youth protection department (DPJ) had even entrusted custody of the teenager to Véronie Campeau, who then posed as a “family friend”, according to a court document.
“The passage of time does not protect delinquents. The past ends up catching up with them,” recalled Judge Lanctôt, saluting the courage of the victim in having denounced.
Me Karine Lagacé-Paquette represented the public prosecutor and Me Gary Martin defended Véronie Campeau in this case.
With Louis-Samuel Perron