gilbert rozon was 'a predator,' plaintiffs' lawyer says as sexual-abuse civil trial begins
nine women are suing the just for laughs festival founder, seeking a total of more than $14 million.
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just for laughs founder gilbert rozon, left, at the montreal courthouse on the first day of his sexual-abuse civil trial, monday december 9, 2024.
dave sidaway
/
montreal gazette
a lawyer representing just for laughs founder gilbert rozon in a civil case in which nine women are suing him for a total of more than $14 million over alleged sexual abuse said in an opening statement to the court monday that rozon admits to having “consensual” sex with three of the plaintiffs. rozon’s lawyer, mélanie morin, also said the claims made by the other six women “make no sense” and argued rozon has already been convicted in the court of public opinion.
included among the nine women in the civil case is annick charette, who was the complainant in rozon’s criminal trial held at the same courthouse a couple of years ago. rozon was acquitted in that trial. he testified in his defence in that trial and claimed he had consensual sex with her.
the trial is scheduled to last until march. superior court justice chantal tremblay is expected to hear from dozens of witnesses, including the nine plaintiffs.
the first of the women called to the witness stand was film and television director lyne charlebois. she is suing rozon for $1.7 million and alleges he raped her in 1982, when she was a 24-year-old photographer.
“that incident is more clear than the day when my (only) son was born,” charlebois said.
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she said she was supposed to show rozon her photographer’s portfolio inside an office on prince-arthur st., but when she arrived he told her he was too busy and suggested they have dinner later the same day.
she said she dined with rozon and her boyfriend at the time and then was invited to meet rozon at an apartment on st-denis st.
charlebois, who worked on the popular film un zoo la nuit and co-wrote and directed the 2008 film borderline, recalled entering what appeared to be a very large apartment and found rozon shirtless and “smoking a joint.”
“i wasn’t well. i don’t know. that is how i found him,” charlebois said of her reaction to finding rozon with his shirt off. “i thought: ‘how can a man i just met, who just had dinner with my boyfriend, expect to have sex with me? he’s crazy. he’s sick. he’s going to kill me.’
“he penetrated me. it was fast, fortunately. i’ve never slept with a man for a job.”
when asked what she thought of the incident afterward, charlebois said she found it revolting.
charlebois is seeking $450,000 in damages as part of her lawsuit. she told the court her “episode with mr. rozon” had an effect on her career as a photographer and as a director.
“all that came after (1982) with just for laughs, with the just for laughs museum. i never went to just for laughs,” she said, adding she was sometimes offered work to take photographs at festivals or concerts.
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“i once said i charged $2,000 a day and the (person who called me) said that i was charging a lot. i told her: “for a rapist i charge a lot,” charlebois said, adding she can’t watch comedic films unless they are by charlie chaplin, and she came to be known as a director who won’t do comedies.
when asked by bruce johnston, one of the lawyers representing the nine women, what her motivation was in testifying on monday, charlebois said it wasn’t for money.
“i’m here because i want things to change. it’s bigger than me,” she said, adding she remains disappointed over how the montreal police investigated her allegation but the provincial prosecutor decided not to file any charges. “i’m here for all the women before me and after me. my motivation is the bigger story, because in the past i backed away and let it happen.”
annick charette, one of the nine plantiffs in just for laughs founder gilbert rozon’s sexual-abuse civil trial, at the montreal courthouse on the first day of the trial, monday december 9, 2024.
dave sidaway
/
montreal gazette
“sexual assault is one of the least reported crimes. when a complaint is filed, it is one of the crimes where a charge is less often filed,” johnston said while making his opening statement to the court.
johnston said that when a person is sexually assaulted by someone they know, they have three types of reactions: “fight, flight or freeze.” the victims who freeze, the lawyer said, not only feel humiliated, but also blame themselves.
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“after it happens, they ask themselves: ‘why did i let that happen? why didn’t i cry out? why didn’t i say anything?’ or maybe: ‘it was my fault,'” johnston said. “this phenomenon and its prevalence are incontestable in social science and will be treated in our (evidence).
“victims often worry that they won’t be believed,” he said. “the defendant in our case understood that reaction from the potential victims.”
johnston also argued the trial will prove that rozon was “a predator” who expected his victims “to freeze” instead of denouncing him.
“all the victims, when they are asked questions about what happened, it brings back all the trauma they experienced. they are obliged to revisit it. so to claim that they are doing this to be opportunistic is ridiculous,” johnston said. “the nine women here before you are courageous to do so.”
at the start of the trial, tremblay denied a request from rozon that it be delayed to january.
laurent debrun, one of the lawyers representing rozon, asked that the trial be delayed because of new legislation adopted by the quebec government last week in the national assembly. debrun said rozon did not expect that the new legislation could be applicable to the trial. the legislation, bill 73, deals with how evidence can be interpreted in court, in particular “the myths and stereotypes” concerning rape — for example, whether a victim asked the aggressor to stop or if they remained in a relationship after the abuse.
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debrun said allowing the new legislation to apply to this trial would deny rozon the right to a fair trial because all preparation made for it was done before bill 73 became law.
johnston argued against the delay to january. he said the plaintiffs and many witnesses planned the coming months around the trial and that it would be a major inconvenience to grant the delay. johnston said some of the people who will testify cancelled surgeries to fit the court’s schedule.
tremblay agreed with the plaintiffs and ordered that the trial begin monday.
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