Police officer charged following Val-d'Or investigation pleads guilty

A retired Quebecpolice officer has pleaded guilty to charges laid against him, in the only criminal case to go forward following explosive allegations of police misconduct in Val-d'Or, Que., in 2015.

Jean-Luc Vollantwas one of twoofficers charged following an investigation by the province's Crown prosecutors, prompted by a Radio-Canada investigation into alleged misconduct against Indigenous women.

Vollantpleaded guilty to sexual assaulton Oct. 5. at theSept-lescourthouse,after being charged in 2016 for rape, indecent assaultand sexual assault, forincidents which occurredduring his time workingwith the local police force inSchefferville, Que. in the1980s.

He will be back in court onDec. 4 for sentencing on one count of sexual assault.

The two other charges of rape and indecent assault wereautomatically dropped,due to a provision in the Criminal Code which statesa person cannot be convicted twice for the same crime.

'Tip of the iceberg'

Viviane Michel, the president of Native Women Quebec, said she hopes Vollant'sadmission of guilt will persuadewomen how important it is to reportsexual assaults, even years after they've occurred.

"We want to underline the courage of the victims who first spoke out," said Michele, who nonetheless expressed disappointment that of the 37 initial complaints handed to investigators, onlytwo met the standard for prosecution.

In 2016, when the Crownoutlined its findings, prosecutorsstressed that the outcome "did not mean the alleged events did not happen,"but rather that there were not sufficient elements of proof to bring the case before a judge.

Michele said she hopes the province'sinquiry into relations with Indigenous people will "shine a light on the system" and lead to better programsto accompany victims, including access to legal aid.

Thedirector of the Association of Native Friendship Centres, TanyaSirois, said the recent conversations surrounding sexual assault have shown how difficult it can be for victims to come forward and testify.

"The burden of proof is on their shoulders," Sirois said.

She also commendedthe women in Val-d'Or for their courage.

Sirois said by coming forward, they transformed Quebec's political landscape and Quebecers'understanding ofissues affectingIndigenous people.

"It was just the tip of the iceberg, and beneath that tip, we discovered multiple layers," Sirois said.

Trial avoided

By pleading guilty, Vollantavoids going to trial, something she said some victims may find comforting, as it means they won't have to testify in court.

However, Sirois said, some victims may feel robbed of their chance to speak publiclyand feel thatjustice has been served.

"The system isn't designed for victims of sexual assault, but it's still important to file a complaint, to make sure these people can't continue doing this," she said.

The other officer charged with sexual assault and assault with a weapon,Alain Juneau, worked with the Sret du Qubec in Schefferville, in the 1990s.

Juneau committed suicide in early 2017, two months after the Crown laid charges against him.

Quebec's Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) has launcheda confidential info line for victims of sexual violence who are considering filing a complaint with police.
The line is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1-877-547-3727.