Arrest of a journalist in Gatineau: the chief of police to blame a police officer

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Simon-Pier Ouellet

Thursday, 22 march 2018 15:04

UPDATE
Thursday, 22 march, 2018 18:24

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GATINEAU | The chief of police of Gatineau has blamed the police work for the arrest precipitated from a journalist last week.

• READ ALSO: Arrest of a journalist: the police of Gatineau is on the defensive

The Director of criminal and penal prosecutions has not upheld the complaint of criminal harassment against the journalist of Radio-Canada’s Antoine Trépanier.

The DPCP concludes that the journalist has not committed any criminal act in the place of the executive director of Big brothers and Big sisters of Outaouais Yvonne Dube.

The director of the Service de police de Gatineau Mario Harel has done a volte-face after having defended without reservation the work of his own last week.

“It is clear that the police officer did not properly assess the situation following the taking of the statement of the victim. The basic elements that constitute an offence were not met, ” he admitted Thursday.

Ms. Dubé had said fears for her safety when she was asked by the journalist to obtain an interview. It was the subject of a story on his run-ins with the law in ontario.

According to Radio-Canada, Antoine Trépanier had made three calls and sent an email to the lady.

“I was disturbed by this arrest. No one ever asked me my version of the facts. Ms. Dubé had the right to file a complaint. But the police of Gatineau would have had to check the other side of the story, ” said Antoine Trépanier.

Yvonne Dube still enjoys the confidence of the board of directors of Big brothers and Big sisters of Outaouais.

President Richard Gravel explained that ” until evidence to the contrary, the C. A supports the director-general “.

The journalist Antoine Trépanier and the management of Radio-Canada have not decided if they were going to file a complaint against the police of Gatineau or Ms. Dubé.

Following the decision of the DPCP, the police of Gatineau says that she is going to change its procedure.

Now, as soon as a journalist will be the subject of a complaint, the executive shall be prevented.

It is not known if a charge of mischief or obstruction of the work of the police will be filed against the complainant, whose denunciation thereof has not been retained.

– With the collaboration of Pierre-Jean Séguin