MONTREAL – The public outcry is still palpable in Quebec, one month later, over a jury’s decision to find a man who stabbed to death his two children not criminally responsible for his actions.
That anger will be on display Saturday, as people demonstrate at 14 cities across Quebec.
They will protest a jury’s decision in the murder case of Guy Turcotte, a former cardiologist who stabbed his children 46 times while they were lying in their beds.
Turcotte admitted to having caused the deaths in 2009, but he denied criminal intent. He said he only remembered flashes of what happened that evening but couldn’t explain why he killed the children.
Protest organizers say people are citing different reasons for attending: some are angry with the justice system, some are angry at the verdict, and others want jury trials abolished.
Others have said they want Ottawa to adopt stricter guidelines for when a not-criminally-responsible verdict can be rendered.
One thing the protesters agree on is their stated desire to pay tribute to the young victims – Anne-Sophie, 3, and Olivier, 5.
“The goal of our protest is to advance the cause – what’s at the heart of it is children’s rights,” said Marie-Josee Gadoury, a mother of three who is organizing an event south of Montreal in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
“When you see a judgment like the one Turcotte got, it just sends you for a loop.”
The public response has been considerable, at least on paper: more than 3,000 people are signed up to attend the Montreal and Quebec City events, combined. A dozen other cities are scheduled to have protests.
Turcotte claimed he was despondent over the breakup of his marriage with Isabelle Gaston and was pushed over the edge upon learning she had been having an affair with her personal trainer.
The prosecution failed to get a conviction on two counts of first-degree murder. But much has happened since the jury came back with its verdict on July 5.
The Crown has said it’s appealing the verdict because it believes the judge erred in law in his instructions to the jury. It has also asked the Quebec Court of Appeal to hear the case.
In the meantime, on Aug. 12, Turcotte goes before a mental health tribunal which will determine whether he is fit to be released or if he should stay detained for another year.
After initially saying she wanted nothing more to do with courts, Gaston, the children’s mother, publicly said she supported the Crown’s decision to appeal and is prepared to testify again if needed.
Organizers say that Gaston’s about-face has encouraged others to get involved and fight for change.
Karine Lavoie, who will attend the Gatineau protest, said the public perception the verdict was unjust hasn’t changed despite the month that has passed.
“I don’t think it has died down, instead I think it’s just as intense and people are just as angry and just as disappointed,” Lavoie said.
“It’s not surprising people would be upset by this situation.”
The protest movement was unintentionally started by a couple of 14-year-olds.
Laurie, who asked that her last name not be used for security reasons, started a group on Facebook dubbed, “Against the Verdict of the Guy Turcotte trial,” shortly after the decision came down.
“We didn’t understand how the jury could have come to this decision and we created a page in the hopes that some friends would express their opinion,” Laurie said in a telephone interview.
“We thought maybe 30 or 50 people would join the group but we were overwhelmed.”
As of this week, more than 22,000 people had signed up for the page and the debate has been heated.
Other event organizers confided they were subjected to threats and taunts online. They took flak from detractors who said they agreed with the verdict, and others who said they preferred the status quo.
“We don’t have the same way of thinking, but we all have the same goal: protecting children,” Gadoury said.
“Some people are going to be angry at the verdict, some are angry with how the justice system works, everyone has different reasons, but the (goal on Saturday) is to advance the cause.”
As far as Laurie is concerned, the young victims in this case should be remembered.
“It’s still a murder and a murder is unforgivable,” she said.
“Anne-Sophie and Oliver had a right to their life.”
Comments