Quebec’s director of criminal and penal prosecutions is warning the public about the possible consequences — including prison time and criminal records — when it comes to threatening or harassing politicians on the election campaign trail.
The Directeur des Poursuites Criminelles et Pénales (DPCP) took to social media Thursday to say there have been reports of “deplorable incidents” targeting provincial candidates since the start of the campaign. Some of those incidents are being investigated by police or have been the subject of a criminal complaint.
The move comes as Quebec provincial police confirmed earlier this week it has arrested 20 people over the course of the campaign for threats against candidates or for damage to election-related property. In fact, provincial police said has been a significant rise in threats against politicians since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
In wake of the rising number of incidents, the Sûreté du Québec set up an emergency hotline about two weeks ago for any candidate who is concerned about their safety.
“As a public institution independent of any influence of a political nature, the DPCP reminds you that comments disseminated on social media, or in any other form, regarding elected officials or candidates for election may constitute criminal offences,” the Crown prosecutor’s office said in a post on social media.
“Threatening, harassment or intimidation offences are punishable by up to 10 years in prison, including a criminal record.”
The DPCP provides real examples of recent cases where threats — made both online and in person — against politicians resulted in consequences for the accused.
In one case, a man was sentenced to six months behind bars for writing death threats on a senior official’s Facebook page, among them “it’s over for you.”
The DPCP also reports a young woman — who didn’t have a criminal record — told an elected official she would “break his two legs” on Facebook. She was sentenced to 18 months probation with a host of conditions, including that she cannot make any references to the victim online.
In another case, a man made threatening comments about a politician while he was talking to his colleagues on break at work. The Crown prosecutor’s office says the accused was sentenced to 18 months probation with several conditions and must complete 100 hours of community service.
— with files from the Canadian Press
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