Montreal police sergeant reprimanded for comments to harassment victim

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The Montreal police ethics commission ruled that a Montreal sergeant made inappropriate comments to a woman who filed a police report after being sexually harassed in 2019; but ruled in favor of another officer to whom the woman had complained in the same matter.

In its decision of April 8, the commission ruled that Sgt. Martin Bouchard twice violated Article 5 of Quebec’s police code of ethics when Anastasia Boldireff attempted to file a complaint against a man who had harassed her. However, the commission ruled that Officer Kevin Jacob did not violate Article 5 with comments he made to Boldireff that same night.

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Boldireff was a doctoral student at Concordia University in 2019 when a man began persistently pursuing her and asking her to go out with him. The man approached her at least three times, including in front of the university and in front of a cafe near the university. He feared for her safety.

As he described what happened to Sgt. Bouchard, Boldireff says he responded: “He seems like a handsome man. A football player, you say. Why don’t you go on a date with him?

Then, as he prepared to leave the station and inquired about the possibility of a police escort home, Bouchard told him there was none available. While giving him safety tips for the way home, Boldireff says Bouchard told him, “You should consider what you’re wearing.”

The ethics commission reprimanded Bouchard for violating Article 5 in both cases.

“Such comments are serious enough to tarnish the moral probity of the sergeant. Bouchard, and greatly deviating from the behavior of a reasonably prudent and diligent police officer,” the commission said in its decision.

He also called Bouchard’s comments “unacceptable and inappropriate.”

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After the conversation with Bouchard, Boldireff was speaking with Officer Jacob, who said he would see her walk to the subway. At the time, Ella Boldireff said Jacob told her, “I’m sure being an attractive woman like you gets you in trouble,” to which she responded, “Yeah, she makes me vulnerable.”

The ethics commission did not reprimand Jacob, as Boldireff only complained about his comment nearly a year after his initial complaint against Bouchard was filed, and the commission found Jacob’s denial credible.

“I have mixed feelings about the decision,” Boldireff said in a statement. “I believe in a justice system that has consequences for inappropriate behavior and education about appropriate behavior. I hope that those in positions of power who can make lasting change provide police with better education, training, policies and procedures so they can better serve and protect victims of sexual violence so that what happened to me never happens again. ”.

Fo Niemi, executive director of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations, called the decision “a partial victory for victims of sexual violence when it comes to the police’s duty to serve and protect, although we note that the commissioner did not cite to officers for discriminatory comments based on gender.”

The case is also before the Quebec Human Rights Court, where the two officers are accused of gender discrimination.

The man who had harassed Boldireff, Adamo Bono, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal harassment in April 2022. He was placed on probation to reside and receive treatment in a psychiatric care facility for two years.

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