A half a year after assault charges were withdrawn, a once high-profile City Hall employee and former police officer has filed a $4-million defamation lawsuit to repair his reputation.
Marcel Marcellin was charged with two counts of assault in August of 2018, dating back to alleged incidents that happened in the 90s involving his former spouse.
Those charges were withdrawn late last June in favour of a peace bond that was in place until the end of 2019.
At a news conference this afternoon, Marcellin and his lawyers announced the defamation lawsuit against 11 defendants including The London Abused Women’s Centre and its Executive Director Megan Walker, ANOVA Women’s Centre, Kate Wiggins and London and Woodstock Police, and his ex-wife.
Marcellin said because of the claims, he lost his job with city hall and despite having charges dropped as been unable to find work.
“Professionally, this has rendered me unemployable, so that’s difficult when you work for 20 plus years in public service,” he said.
The lawsuit names both the London and Woodstock police and the chiefs of both organizations for allegedly failing to effectively investigate the claims. Marcellin worked for the London Police for 21 years.
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None of the allegations brought forward in the stamen of claim have been proven in court.
Marcellin’s Lawyer, Phillip Millar, talked to reporters about why the lawsuit was necessary, citing the fact that there is an internet record of the allegations against his clients, which influence public perception.
“As a crown prosecutor, I prosecuted rapists and took a lot of satisfaction in that, but does not give you license to prosecute someone in the media, convict them, and get them fired because you think they did something wrong when in fact they didn’t,” Millar said.
The lawsuit is claiming that Megan Walker and Kate Wiggins “influenced and/or contributed to the false allegations.”
At the time of the incidents, Marcellin was dealing with family law proceeding with his former spouse regarding custody of his children.
The London Abused Women’s Centre and ANOVA have also been named in the lawsuit because, at the time of the alleged incidents, they were the employers of Walker and Wiggins.
Walker is the executive director of the London Abused Women’s Centre, and Kate Wiggins, former director of Anova.
The lawsuit goes on to say, “They wielded their influence inappropriately both in private conversations with City officials and LPS officer and by callously and/or recklessly defaming marcel in the mainstream media.”
Both organizations work to help women who are victims of domestic violence and help them to leave abusive relationships.
Marcellin was working on the “UN Women’s Safe Cities” initiative for the City of London, a position which he lost at the time this was going on.
He added that he does not want this to minimize any women’s experience who comes forward to report domestic abuse.
“I believe in advocacy is important, and I don’t think this in any way undermines organizations who want to go out and do the right thing and support women,” Marcelline said.
Attempts have been made to contact those named in lawsuit.
London Police say thare unable to provide any comment on any matters that may be before the court.
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