Commission of human rights: with a claim of sexual assault, Camil Picard retires

News 15 March, 2018
  • Patrick Bellerose

    Thursday, march 15, 2018 10:13

    UPDATE
    Thursday, march 15, 2018 10:18

    Look at this article

    The acting chairperson of the Commission of human rights and the rights of the youth, Camil Picard, was removed from his duties Thursday morning after an allegation of sexual assault had been made on the day.

    The minister of Justice, Stéphanie Vallée, confirmed the news a few hours after the publication of an article in the daily Press revealing that Mr. Picard had been the subject of an investigation for sexual assault in 2007.

    “Mr. Picard, this morning, saw the article, has left his position of interim president,” said Stéphanie Vallée.

    The acts were allegedly committed in the 1980s. Camil Picard would have then paid 50 000 $ in the framework of a settlement agreement confidential, without acknowledging his guilt. He has never been accused in this folder.

    “The facts that have been uncovered this morning are extremely troubling,” commented the minister of Justice.

    Although Camil Picard has been the subject of three investigations for security clearance before being appointed to various positions, the government was not aware that he had also been the subject of an investigation by the police Department of the City of Quebec.

    “Police investigations are confidential, so this information was not brought to the attention of our government at the time, and has not been brought to the attention of the jobs above, and Mr. Picard has never disclosed this information-there when he took office,” said Stéphanie Vallée.

    “We must look at what happened in this case before making a judgment about the overall process, she added. Sometimes, there may be an error in a folder, which does not affect the process for all folders.”

    The Commission of human rights is already shaken by the absence of its chairperson, Tamara Thermitus, which is the subject of allegations of abuse of authority and mismanagement.

    Camil Picard will be replaced by Philippe-André Tessier, vice-president of the Commission of human rights and the rights of the youth, during the absence of the president.