Quebec judge under fire over sexual assault discharge citing career impact

'The last thing we want to see is bringing politics onto the bench,' one criminal defence lawyer is cautioning amid a backlash over the judge's ruling.

A Quebec judge is facing intense criticism and calls for a conduct review after granting a conditional discharge to a man who pleaded guilty to sexual assault — and citing concerns about the man’s career.

Matthieu Poliquin was appointed to the provincial court of Quebec last year by the province’s justice minister, Simon Jolin-Barrette, and is now under fire for saying in his sentencing decision that a criminal record would “have a significant impact” on the engineering career of Simon Houle.

Houle, of Trois-Rivieres, Que., had pleaded guilty last year to sexual assault and voyeurism.

Now, a Quebec women’s rights group is organizing a rally “to denounce the judgement issued by Poliquin” outside the Palais de justice du Quebec in downtown Montreal on Thursday at noon.

“We are outraged and furious at this retrograde decision that STILL defends the aggressors,” organizers from Centre Femmes d’aujourd’hui wrote on a Facebook event posting for the rally.

“Tomorrow, come join us to shout your revolt in front of the Courthouse to denounce the penal system which is designed to protect abusers, their careers and their reputation to the detriment of their victims.”

According to the court decision, the victim “was awoken by the light of a camera” to find Houle assaulting her with his fingers after she had fallen asleep at a friend’s home in 2019 after a night of drinking at a bar with a group of friends, The Canadian Press reported.

Her shirt had been lifted and her bra unfastened, the court decision said.