In the Face of allegations of inappropriate sexual touching, Jacques Chagnon counter-attack

Photo: Clement Allard Archives The canadian Press
No question of agreeing to the eyes of all of them for “one obsessed, a sexual aggressor,” says Jacques Chagnon, in the interview, saying it was “outraged” and “hurt”, stirred by all this history.

Quite resolved to wash his reputation, tarnished by allegations of sexual touching, the ex-president of the national Assembly Jacques Chagnon has undertaken a judicial process designed to whiten it completely, both in Quebec and abroad, depending on what was learned The canadian Press.

Mr. Chagnon categorically denies having anything to reproach himself and intends to take all the means at its disposal to obtain justice.

To this end, it has drawn recently the services of a belgian lawyer, who shipped in his name, a notice to the ex-mp for the walloon to the origin of the allegations, Emily Hoyos, the directing of retract.

The latter, however, refused to comply, forcing the former liberal member of parliament to examine the possibility of filing a lawsuit against her, despite the fact that she is living abroad.

In parallel, Mr. Chagnon wants to tackle the giant Google and try to erase from its search engine all the news articles incriminating, which suggests that he has had inappropriate conduct towards a former deputy belgian, during a visit to the parliament of Quebec, in 2011.

No question of agreeing to the eyes of all of them for “one obsessed, a sexual aggressor,” says Mr. Chagnon in telephone interview, saying it was “outraged” and ” hurt “, stirred by all this history, which, according to him, to hurt him in the conduct of the various mandates that it has assumed in the foreign parliaments.

The facts

In may 2011, Mr. Chagnon had met with a delegation of seven belgian members of parliament, part of which was the president of the parliament of wallonia, which is Emily Hoyos.

In an interview that aired nine years later, in may last, at the Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF), Ms. Hoyos has made reference to this visit in Quebec, stating that the “president” had then of the inappropriate behaviour towards her, in the form of touching, first when taking a group picture on the grand staircase of the parliament, and then during the meal that followed. It would have touched the buttocks at the photo and the thighs during the meal, according to the report.

Ms. Hoyos has, however, never filed a complaint. Challenged in the wake of this story by other media, she refused to add or to retract, saying wanting to ” turn the page “.

Through his lawyer, she would have said lately to have been poorly cited, according to Mr. Chagnon, who had never heard of these allegations before the broadcast of RTBF, in may last.

“I was really shocked,” taking knowledge of the story, he says, convinced that the claims of the ex-mp do just not the road. By the way, “I’ve never been alone with her” during the visit, he says, adding that this is not his “kind” act that way with women.

In addition, at any time, a number of people were present during the activities mentioned and no witnesses corroborated the allegations of Ms. Hoyos says the former president, noting, in passing, that it was under his watch, in 2015, the national Assembly adopted an anti-harassment policy, psychological, or sexual.

The suites

Except that, even when unfounded, these allegations are likely to cause negative impact, according to him. Since he left his position as president of the national Assembly, in 2018, Mr. Chagnon has accepted various mandates with foreign parliaments, including that of New Caledonia, who call on him to review their rules of governance.

However, it anticipates that its interlocutors in the world could wear a different look on him, if they type his name on Google and find articles unflattering.

Hence its firm intention to erase any digital trace of this unfortunate history.

“My reputation is all I have,” said Mr. Chagnon, 67-year-old, pointing out that over his long career as a parliamentarian, begun in 1985, it has gained “an excellent reputation” ambassador of Quebec abroad, having participated in many parliamentary forums across the world, as a member of parliament, vice-president, then president of the institution, from 2011 to 2018.

But he knows that his project, which he bears himself the cost, is fraught with difficulty and may require some time.

In particular, the fact that the dispute involves a person of another nationality complicates things. Based on the Oppenheim, of the supreme Court, in 1998, however, it is of the opinion that the envisaged procedure may refer to a person living abroad.