A woman denounces a party for her attacker

News 15 March, 2018
  • Photo Axel Marchand-Lamothe
    Martine Beaudet-Light is always reversed, that the TRH-Bar de Montréal has organized a fundraiser for her attacker.

    Axel Marchand-Lamothe

    Thursday, 15 march, 2018 01:00

    UPDATE
    Thursday, 15 march, 2018 01:00

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    A victim of sexual assault is outraged that a bar of Montréal encourages the cultivation of rape by organizing a “party” to raise funds in anticipation of the release from prison of the man who “destroyed” his life.

    “I really had the impression to make me laugh in the face, lance Martine Beaudet-Alder. It is so much a lack of respect for all victims of sexual assault. “

    On 6 march, two days before international women’s Day, the TRH-Bar de Montréal organized an evening of “Free Steve” to raise money for the “reintegration” of a former employee of the place, Steve Bouchard.

    Photo courtesy

    TRH-Bar, Montreal

    Sex offender

    “This man has destroyed my life,” says his victim, who met for the first time when he was a bouncer.

    In march 2017, it has been sentenced to 18 months in jail, including three counts of sexual assault and three others for armed attack on Ms. Beaudet-Terms while they were a couple.

    Judge Gilles Garneau ordered that it figure to life on the sex offender registry.

    “This is stupid, as situation. They are promoting the culture of rape and abuse of women. In the wake of the movement #MoiAussi, it is so moved, ” says the victim, a student of criminology 25 years.

    All the more that the evening seemed to unfold in a thematic prison, according to photos published on Facebook.

    Photo courtesy

    Steve Bouchard

    Aggressor

    Steve Bouchard, now 27 years old, does not seem to have learned from his actions in 2014 and 2015. A first request for release was refused by the parole Board last October as the ” social dangerousness is present “.

    “Your gestures of violence present and past testify to the hostility towards women “, pointed out the commissioners in their decision.

    Profile of domination

    Later in the report, they also note that a therapy team, specialized has refused to support it because of its profile of ” domination, control, violence, and impulsivity in a context of marriage. “

    This has not prevented the bar to accept the proposal of the sister of the attacker to organize the evening.

    “It was not malicious or to trivialize what he has done, justifies Fred Vitu, co-owner of the TRH-Bar. He will have paid his debt to society and we wanted to do a positive action to help his / her reintegration. “

    In the end, Martine Beaudet-Aune considers that there was no place to have a party.

    “I have nothing against the reintegration or that he be released, but it has never acknowledged his wrongs towards me “, she says.

    “Insensitive to the victim” and complain that agencies

    The contempt felt by Martine Beaudet-Aune does not surprise victim support organisations, who see it as a further demonstration of the lack of consideration for the women who are attacked.

    “This is not surprising. The entourage of the attackers is generally in support of this person. It’s part of the culture of rape, ” said Stephanie Tremblay of the Regroupement québécois des centres d’aide et de lutte contre les agressions à caractère sexuel (RQCALACS).

    Without commenting specifically on the case of Martine Beaudet-Terms, it is believed, however, that in general, society grants more value to the attackers that women who denounce their actions.

    “It is insensitive to the victim. One can easily imagine that she currently lives “, she adds.

    “They often have the impression that it does not recognize the consequences of what they have experienced. This can result in a sense of deep injustice “, says Marie-Christine Michaud, a spokesperson for the network of Centres d’aide aux victimes d’actes criminels (CAVAC).

    Isolation

    This is exactly what wanted to denounce Martine Beaudet-Terms by telling the public his story.

    “They would have to think of the evil that the victims must cross before we organise a festival “, she says.

    “It contributes to the trivialization and normalization of sexual violence, denounces Mrs. Tremblay. The aggressor continues to be supported by a network, so that victims can be marginalized. “

    The two organizations note that this support will usually happen in the private sphere, out of sight, but the damages remain the same.

    Marie-Christine Michaud argues that this isolation of the victims must finally be broken.

    “It is important that they know that they are not alone. They must receive support, ” she says.