Gilbert Rozon Awaits Judgment in Landmark Sexual Assault Case

The founder of Juste pour rire, Gilbert Rozon, will learn today, around 11:00 AM EST, whether he will be required to compensate the nine women who are seeking $14 million in damages for alleged sexual assaults and rapes that reportedly occurred between 1980 and 2004. After six months of deliberation, Justice Chantal Tremblay, who presided over the ten-month trial, will deliver her public judgment this Tuesday.

Both parties will receive the judgment within the preceding hour, according to sources. A press conference with the lawyers representing the nine women – Lyne Charlebois, Annick Charette, Patricia Tulasne, Danie Frenette, Sophie Moreau, Martine Roy, Guylaine Courcelles, Mary Sicari, and Anne-Marie Charette – will follow shortly after the announcement. Mr. Rozon’s legal team has not yet indicated whether they will address the media.

Burden of Proof in Civil Case

In civil proceedings, the burden of proof rests with the plaintiffs. They must convince the judge that their version of events is more probable than that of Gilbert Rozon (with a greater than 50% likelihood). Throughout the trial, which began in December 2024, Mr. Rozon has denied all allegations of assault or rape. He maintains that he engaged in consensual relationships with three of the plaintiffs: Lyne Charlebois, Patricia Tulasne, and Annick Charette. He claims the remaining six plaintiffs either “fantasized” or “invented” these encounters.

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• Judicial Investigations: Two Quebec judges are under investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct. One magistrate resigned last fall due to alleged “non-consensual” acts towards a woman during a judges’ gathering.
• Police Harassment: A Montreal police officer was subjected to extremely violent verbal abuse from a driver during an intervention last summer, with no legal recourse to stop the harassment.
• Search Suspended: The search for a young man who fell into the Prairie River on Thursday has been suspended by the Montreal Police Service (SPVM).
• Vehicle Fire: A vehicle was intentionally set on fire in the Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles borough of Montreal.
• Missing Person: Searches for an 18-year-old who went missing after falling into the Prairie River have been paused.
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• Money Laundering Sentence: A man who played a “limited” role in concealing funds from a mortgage fraud scheme was sentenced to six months of house arrest.
• Prosecutorial Misconduct: The Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) will not appeal a stay of proceedings in a major case due to a secret relationship between the Crown prosecutor and a defense lawyer.
• Sexual Assault Arrest: Laval police arrested Jerry Bonce, 49, suspected of sexually assaulting three women he contacted through dating websites.
• Drug Trafficking: An Ontario man pleaded guilty to leading a drug trafficking network that smuggled hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine from the US into Canada.
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• Vaillancourt Lawsuit: Former Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt, accused of corruption, is suing the City of Laval for millions of dollars.
• River Tragedy: Ice gave way under two young men on the Prairie River; one is safe, the other is still missing.
• Mafia Arrest: A son of the late Montreal mafia boss Moreno Gallo was arrested Monday, along with another individual, in an alleged extortion case.

Source: La Presse