Found guilty of sexual aggression

Marcel Simonin, 66, was found guilty last Dec. 19 in Valleyfield corut of sexual aggression against a minor, between 1985 and 1992. When these activities started, his young girl victim was 11 years old.

The mother of the victim had first met the individual when he held the title of Elder at the Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall in Chateauguay. He spoke during services, taught life precepts and spiritually supported members of the congregation.

After he succeeded in winning over the woman's trust and that of her daughter, the man later became addicted to intimate contact with the child, such contact ranging from simple touching to a complete sexual relationship.

During those eight years, the acts of aggressions occurred in several places, notably at his house, in his car, at the home of the girl and at the Chateauguay Kingdom Hall.

In her ruling, Judge Linda Despots of the Criminal and Penal Chamber, notes that the victim had filed a complaint when she was 16 or 17. but she later withdrew the complaint "feeling herself to be under the pressure of the community and under the threat of being expelled" (from the Kingdom Hall).

Another Elder in the Quebec City region where the mother and child had moved, convinced her t5o write a letter to authorities of the congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses regarding what she had experienced with the defendant.

Following reception of this letter, Simonin telephoned his victim to apologize for these acts after recognizing their veracity. The complainant then apparently forgave him.

But when, in 2003, the young girl saw the accused at a Jehovah's Witnesses assembly at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, his presence revived her wounds and made her relive the memories accumulated during those years when she was a victim of touching. Afterwards the young girl went through several difficult years during which she tried to commit suicide on three occasions and underwent therapy treatments from a psychologist.

In 2005, in order to continue her therapeutic progress and free herself from the past, the girl once again decided to lodge an official complaint against the accused.

Believing that the credibility of the defendant - who had always denied being addicted to the acts of which he was accused - was tainted for several reasons, the court declared Simonin guilty of sexual aggression according to three articles of the Criminal Code.(Tr: D.R.)

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