Ottawa brothers who were victims of incest agree to release their names

The lifting of a publication ban in an incest case is remarkably rare and can only occur if a victim initiates it. The Lepage brothers said they fought to make their case public because they didn’t want the trauma they suffered at the hands of their mother to remain in the dark.

Julie Menard, a former school bus driver from Ottawa, was sentenced to 10 years in prison at the end of April. Jonathan, who protected his brother from some of the same abuse he suffered as a child, had hoped for a 25-year life sentence. He has now accepted that his name and that of his brother are linked to the abuse they suffered.

I don’t need protectionthe 35-year-old said. My brother Shawn doesn’t need protection. We discussed it and concluded that all the publication ban does now is to protect Julie. It kept our mother from being exposed.

Legal problems in 2017

Court documents detail a series of sexual abuses, which often involved a scenario in which Ms Menard called her son to siesta timebut Jonathan knew what was expected of him.

According to him, his mother had told him that such sexual activities were normal between a mother and her son, but after having sex with her when he was 15, he felt that things were not right. .

We went down to the living room and it just hit mehe recalls.

Julie Menard’s actions might never have come to light had it not been for Jonathan’s run-ins with the law in 2017, when he was charged and imprisoned following his divorce.

While his own trial was underway, Jonathan spoke to a probation officer about the abuse he had suffered and courthouse staff members offered to help him.

Other potential victims

Jonathan wants his mother’s name made public so that the truth will spread widely, but also because of the job she held for many years.

She had close relationships with many students whose names I don’t know.he confided. Frankly, if something happened, other potential victims may not know who to tell..

Ms. Menard currently faces no additional charges. In an Ottawa courtroom on Friday, Crown Attorney Moiz Karimjee warned the brothers that there will be no turning back once the ban is lifted.

Julie Menard, for her part, opposed the lifting of the ban, which is generally put in place to protect the victims rather than the accused.

Bringing the truth out into the open to help others

Shawn Lepage, 34, also spoke out in court on Friday in favor of lifting the ban.

Personally, I feel like these conversations may be necessary to help others through their situation.he told the court.

According to court documents, Shawn did not suffer the same abuse as his brother, but he testified to numerous instances of physical abuse from the age of three, including severe bruising from his mother’s beating.

Jonathan remembers he was between seven and nine years old when he first stood up for his younger brother. He had decided to intervene when his mother had invited Shawn to receive sexual touching.

At the time, something clicked in my head. I thought, ‘no, my brother can’t go through this too’he recalled.

The judge hailed the courage of the Lepage brothers

Jonathan said that relive and relive his experience will not be easy, but he accepts this burden to inspire other potential victims. If it encourages them to move on, that’s phenomenal.he estimated.

In court on Friday, Ontario Superior Court Judge Kevin Phillips also told the brothers that they had been victimized in the most reprehensible way while welcoming the fact that they are motivated by a desire to help others.

” You shine a light on the kind of wrongdoing that happens in private so other people who are going through bad things don’t feel so alone and helpless »

It is hoped that through the frank and open manner in which you choose to navigate your unfortunate circumstances, you will be better able to come to terms with your experience.Judge Phillips concluded.

With information from CBC’s Joe Tunney