A young victim called to order by a judge burst into tears and began to bleed from the nose after the hearing. When Danika*, the alleged victim of a pimp when she was 16, apologized to the judge, the magistrate firmly defended her behavior.
“Unlike… I wasn’t cavalier with you. I was not a cavalier. I wasn’t harsh. I wasn’t harsh. And I didn’t answer you sharply. Everyone knows what we’re talking about. But this did not happen,” judge Joëlle Roy told the victim Wednesday at the Montreal courthouse.
An article from The Press published the day before reported that the judge had “cavalierly reproached” the victim for answering “anything” for 15 minutes during cross-examination. “You answer to answer,” the judge told him. An intervention which ended the hearing.
This case took place at the trial of Mohamed Louchahi, alias “Mehdi”, a 35-year-old Montrealer accused of having been the pimp of Danika, 16, in April 2019. He is also accused of producing and distributing child pornography and human trafficking against another 18-year-old woman.
On the witness stand for four days this week, Danika endured a harrowing experience. “It upset me that the justice system ensured that Madame had reached this point,” Véronique Warthold told the Crown prosecutor to explain the witness’ panic attack.
Wednesday afternoon, in cross-examination, the victim returned to the episode of Monday afternoon which led the judge to intervene.
“I was a little stressed to be answered. To the point that my nose started bleeding. I was over all my emotions. My nose was bleeding with tears, because I had just offended you. I apologize for that,” Danika testified.
Judge Roy then denied having been “offended” by the victim. “I have a role to play which means that I must bring the witnesses back to their place. I’m very comfortable that I did it very correctly. […] I welcome people into my courtroom. I have always done that, and I always hope to do it,” assured the judge.
“I am very sensitive”, swears the judge
Thursday morning, the judge reiterated in the courtroom that she had been neither “cavalier” nor “curt” with the witness. Defense lawyer Me Sharon Sandiford, however, preferred that the judge not speak about this matter again to avoid a reason for appeal for the Crown. In all cases, the case “goes to the Court of Appeal,” said the judge.
Shortly after, the victim broke down while the defense dragged on in cross-examination about a conversation between the victim and the accused in 2019. In a panic attack, the young woman left the courthouse without warning. Friday morning, the judge questioned the parties to understand the events.
“I would never have forced the witness to testify. Never. Never. I am very human. I am very sensitive. I am someone who loves people. I am very sensitive to everything,” insisted Judge Roy.
Judge Roy continued to strongly defend her work: “There was no atmosphere. When she left, there was nothing to suggest it. There was no climate. I said nothing yesterday,” the judge continued.
For long minutes, the judge then questioned the victim about the very precise circumstances of her departure, in particular about the role of each investigator.
The victim had an “osti of character”
Essentially, Mohamed Louchahi claims to have been nothing more than a simple escort driver in 2018-2019. While studying aircraft maintenance, he came across an ad for an escort driver online. He was quickly hired.
Before that, he had formed a friendship with Amélie*, 18, in surprising circumstances. While Louchahi was putting $20 worth of gas in his car, Amélie asked him for a “lift”. It was the first time they spoke. They became friends immediately. “We never flirted,” he swears.
When Louchahi announces to Amélie that he is hired as an escort driver, she is “very excited”. The young woman dreams of being hired. He ends up giving her his boss’s number. “It was the happiest day of his life [à Amélie] », he describes.
The accused says he became Amélie’s driver. She was often “very happy” to have made money. However, the young woman had a “strong character”, he said, before being called to order by the judge. Amélie “spoke loudly,” he said.
At the trial, Amélie said she was afraid to denounce the accused since he had already violently hit the steering wheel of her vehicle. Mohamed Louchahi denied this episode. “I’m really not a violent person,” he swore.
He stopped being a driver in 2019, because he got a good job at Bombardier.
The trial continues Friday afternoon.
*Fictitious names