A repeat infringer wants to put an end to the proceedings against him

Photo Chantal Poirier
On his arrival Monday that the disciplinary Board of the College of psychologists, Richard Lachance has tried to avoid being caught on camera.

Hugo Duchaine

Monday, 5 February 2018 23:09

UPDATE
Monday, 5 February 2018 23:09

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A psychologist who has pleaded guilty twice to offences of sexual misconduct wants to put an end to the write-off procedures against him because he believes they have been misled by his lawyers.

“I wanted to buy peace, even though I knew I wasn’t guilty, I was ready to live with [a guilty plea] “, pleaded Monday Richard Lachance, before the disciplinary Board of the College of psychologists.

The man from Quebec, who is accused of sexual misconduct, conflicts of interest and breach of confidentiality, however, has pleaded guilty to all these leaders on two occasions before the same council in 2016 and in 2017.

However, he quickly became disillusioned last June when his lawyer informed him that he was exposed to a radiation of five years. The provincial government had been to toughen the law to deter professionals from committing these acts. Before, the wrongdoer could get away with three months.

Photo taken from Facebook

“Slap on the wrist “

“I came here [thinking of you] at most a slap on the wrist “, has candidly confessed to the psychologist. “Is it that you think that I would have to plead guilty [if I had known that I could have gone to five years of radiation] ? Never ! “, he shouted.

The 65 year-old man said he could not afford not to work for five years. He claims to have spent $ 50,000 in lawyers for the past four years.

Richard Lachance has done business with four lawyers, who have badly advised.

“No one has ever discussed the leaders of the offence [with me], I was never offered a defense in any way “, he said. Mr. Lachance noted that he has also filed a complaint with the Barreau du Québec against one of his lawyers.

He ensures that he has an ” excellent defense “, but that he was taken by surprise both times that he appeared before the disciplinary Board.

Today its joint

The patient with whom the psychologist would have maintained an intimate bond is now the spouse of the professional. She testified in his favor Monday. The woman, whose identity is protected, said it was “broken” and “appalled” when Mr. Lachance pleaded guilty.

After pleading guilty in 2016, the psychologist was returned to the disciplinary Board to withdraw his plea nearly a year later.

But when the syndicates assistant of the College of psychologists has agreed to remove the reference to “abusive sexual nature” of his complaint, his new lawyer he was again to suggest to plead guilty.

Richard Lachance has repeated on Monday that he did not understand what was happening.

However, in the record of this hearing that suggested by the counsel for the syndicates assistant, Suzanne Castonguay, you can hear it said many times that he understands “perfectly well” that he pleads and he feels no pressure.

Mr. Pascal A. Pelletier also reminded the Board of discipline that the psychologist had been the subject of a professional inspection, the result of the complaint, which had identified a number of gaps on the ethics and its relationships with customers, which requires ” major corrections “.

“This is rubbish ! “, has, for its part, retorted Mr. Lachance on some of the findings of the inspection.

Both parties must be heard their oral arguments today. The disciplinary Board will then have to decide if he allows the proceedings to be stayed, if he agrees to withdraw the plea of guilty of the psychologist, or if he goes ahead with the sanctions to be imposed.