A crime victims advocacy group expressed concern on Tuesday after a Quebec man was granted a conditional discharge in a sexual assault case, in part because the judge felt a conviction could damage the man’s career.
Marie-Christine Villeneuve of Crime Victims Assistance Centres says she worries the light sentence may be discouraging to victims and make them reluctant to report sexual assaults.
“If you’re a victim seeing this kind of decision, it’s possible that you could be more fearful of turning to the legal process, of filing a complaint, and maybe fearful about really getting justice at the end of this process,” she said in an interview….