Women who accused comedian Julien Lacroix of assault and not regret reporting and maintaining sexual misconduct two and a half years ago that their testimony remains just as valid and important as it was in the summer of 2020.
“We do not withdraw our allegations of sexual assault and misconduct,” they said in a joint letter, a copy of which was obtained by 24 hours. “We stand in solidarity with those who repent because they have the right to define the terms of their own experience. However, we consider our sharing to be just as valid and important as it was in summer 2020.”
In July 2020, the daily newspaper Le Devoir published the testimonies of nine alleged victims of Julien Lacroix, accusing them of sexual assault and misconduct.
Two years later, last November, La Presse wanted to return to this affair and report on the “collateral damage” caused by the public denunciations. In a report and podcast series by 98.5 FM, two of those women said they regretted denouncing the comedian. We learn that they never considered themselves victims.
However, other women who denounced the comedian in 2020 are sticking to their version of the facts. They still hadn’t responded to the report from La Presse and 98.5 FM.
joint letter
The women behind the letter have decided to join their voices “to try to rebalance the discourse,” they confided to 24 hours. They refuse to give their number to avoid being traced as much as possible, they specify.
“We were afraid that our silence would be taken as regret, as if everyone who denounced Julien Lacroix in the 2020 article in Le Devoir repented and retracted it,” said one alleged victim, who asked for “anonymity.”
“After he came back, we wanted to write a letter several times, but we never did,” she continues. “We participated in several interviews, each on our site, but many of our testimonies were either cut off or taken out of context, as in the case of the La Presse article. This letter is our full word.”
She also points out that this is her “last post” on the Julien Lacroix affair, at least for now.
“We don’t want to give journalists any more interviews,” says the young woman on the phone.
Quebec Against Sexual Violence co-founder Mélanie Lemay claims she has seldom seen alleged victims so “traumatized” by media treatment.
“The article that appeared in La Presse was a second attack for them. On that they agree. They are paralyzed by all the showbiz behind their denunciation. They see that there is a balance of power at work here that they find completely repugnant,” explains the sociologist, who currently has a doctorate.
- Listen to Julien Lacroix’s interview on the podcast Le monde à l’envers QUB radio :
The “typical” process of reporting a victim
In an article on the impact of the report by La Presse and 98.5 FM on the whistleblowing movement, published in Le 24 heures on November 17, lawyer Rachel Chagnon conjures up the very stereotypical images of attackers and victims.
• Also read: What impact will the La Presse and 98.5 FM report have on the whistleblowing movement?
“An attacker is a monster, a victim is a woman being attacked by a stranger in an alley [et] who remains completely traumatized. These exaggerated views result in very few victims and perpetrators fitting the label. That may explain why some people find it difficult to present themselves as such,” suggested the law professor at UQAM.
After experiencing the repercussions of their denunciation – especially if it is public and directed at a well-known figure – some people want to distance themselves from the victim designation, according to the article in La Presse last November.
Two of Julien Lacroix’s alleged victims have bluntly admitted that they regret denouncing him. Another mentioned that he never wanted the comedian to be banned from public spaces or threatened, but without retracting his allegations of sexual assault.
“The fact that all victims [de Julien Lacroix] not all agree with each other illustrates the complexity of the phenomenon of public denunciation,” warns Sandrine Ricci, sociologist specializing in the study of sexual violence and member of the UQÀM Institute for Research and Feminist Studies.
“There is no typical whistleblowing course, whether in social networks, in the media sector or in the judiciary,” says the expert. “But we can say that it is not a linear process and that it is punctuated by obstacles, hesitations and setbacks. It is a dynamic and moving journey.”
She finds the same points of convergence in most denunciations: the victim’s guilt, a suspicion and sometimes even his discrediting.
“We see it much more often when public figures are denounced. They benefit from considerable strength thanks to their capital of sympathy and [à] their financial capital, very often. That weighs heavily on the victims.”
Denouncing by “bloodthirst”?
It was Julien Lacroix’s return to the public sphere that prompted the “other” alleged victims to publish a letter. The comedian gave his first television interview on Le monde à l’envers, on TVA, last Friday night amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
TOMA ICZKOVITS
Julien Lacroix during his appearance on the program “Le monde à l’envers”.
“I can imagine that you don’t think you’re a victim, but at the same time, if I’m listening to you, you might be,” host Stéphan Bureau asked.
“I understand the basis of the denunciations, I understand them. Since we saw […]. It’s beautiful, we were thirsty for blood, we were thirsty for names, we wanted heads to roll, we wanted a show. But for many people, including me, this show is my life,” he replied.
For the alleged victims, this process was never a “crusade” but “a search for truth”.
They didn’t denounce Julien Lacroix on the fringes of the justice system out of “blood thirst,” they reply. They say they turned to Le Devoir journalist Améli Pineda instead due to a lack of confidence in the system.
“In the accounts of victims of sexual assault collected throughout history, particularly in the 1970s when this issue exploded, we see the aggressors using the same phrase. It hasn’t changed. They try to demonize the victims,” argues Sandrine Ricci.
“And in all the cases I’ve researched, bloodlust has never been a reason for denunciation. We are in a process of recognition, solidarity and collective transformation, so that the aggressor changes and we put an end to the law of silence,” assures the researcher.
The sociologist will also train federal court judges on public denunciation on Wednesday. “It shows that there is an interest in better understanding why so many victims turn away from justice and publicly denounce,” Ms. Ricci adds.
“We don’t want any moreWhat impact will La Presse and 98.5 FM’s report have on the whistleblowing movement???bound in Summer 2020.