Eric Salvail's trial: his version is implausible and incoherent, says the Crown
The 51-year-old former host and producer is accused of these actions which date back to 1993 on the person of Donald Duguay, a former colleague at work.
Share November 12, 2020 12:44 p.m. Updated at 3:31 p.m. Share Éric Salvail's trial: his version is implausible and inconsistent, says the Crown Stéphanie Marin The Canadian Press MONTREAL – If the defense attacked the credibility of the plaintiff, the Crown prosecutor has replied with the same weapons Thursday: she attacked the testimony of Eric Salvail, which she described as “unlikely and incoherent”, and which should be rejected “in its entirety”.
“You should not retain anything from what he said”, argued Me Amélie Rivard to judge Alexandre Dalmau of the Court of Quebec. He lied to give himself a false positive image, she added.
The fate of Eric Salvail is now in the hands of the judge: he will deliver his verdict on December 18.
It was Me Rivard's turn to plead, Thursday, in a courtroom of the Montreal courthouse. She used the arguments to try to convince the judge to convict the former star host Eric Salvail for sexual assault, forcible confinement and harassment.
Her defense is based on her testimony, she said, but “the accused does not deserve to be believed and to raise any doubt.”
The 51-year-old former host and producer is accused of these actions which date back to 1993 on the person of Donald Duguay, a former colleague at work.
He testified that Eric Salvail kidnapped and sexually assaulted him in a Radio-Canada bathroom, after several months of advances, sexual comments and inappropriate touching in the workplace.
The Complainant presented a credible, sincere, reliable at all levels and obviously emotional story. “There may be some irregularities (in his testimony), but these are peripheral elements”, maintained Me Rivard. He must be believed, she slices.
The crown attorney also made extensive use of the rebuttal evidence she offered to the judge on Monday.
Statements made to the police by three former work colleagues of Eric Salvail were filed at the trial, in which they state inappropriate sexual comments, unwanted touching by the former star host, who is also said to have been exhibited in front of one of them.
Éric Salvail says that putting his hand on the buttocks is a gesture that he only makes with friends? One of the men said he grabbed her buttock the first day he met him.
Éric Salvail testified that he would never have engaged in such acts of harassment because his work is everything to him, and that he would not have taken the risk of harming his professional advancement? These three men testified to unwanted touching and inappropriate language at a time when the accused was not yet known.
Eric Salvail said that he is not the type of person to attack people and that he has not attacked anyone in his life? These three men testified to what they went through, including one who said the accused pushed his hand into his pants until he touched his testicles, the crown prosecutor hammered.
The testimony of the accused “is completely unreliable given the rebuttal evidence”, launched Me Rivard.
Defense
On Wednesday, Eric Salvail's lawyer, Me Michel Massicotte, was busy undermining the version of the facts reported by the complainant. He painted an unflattering portrait of himself: Donald Duguay is a man capable of lying, of spreading falsehoods and even of perjury. The actions complained of never happened, he insisted.
Eric Salvail had chosen to testify at his criminal trial. He has denied outright all the allegations made to him. He even qualified as “far-fetched” the episode of sexual assault and kidnapping related by Donald Duguay.
The former host argued in particular that he never received training from Mr. Duguay for the mailroom and that during the alleged assault in the toilets on October 29, he was no longer even working at Radio- Canada: Its last day was August 13.
Except that: he worked after that date for the program “l'Enfer c'est nous autres”, produced by Radio-Canada, pleaded Me Rivard, who wanted to rectify his claims in his pleadings. His employment link was maintained, a fact he finally admitted half-heartedly, the prosecutor said. And then, he admitted to returning to the Radio-Canada Tower after August 13 to see friends or to attend production meetings.
As for the mailroom training, the accused has “no idea” who gave it to him, but is “convinced” that it was not Donald Duguay.
“The certainty with which he testifies is implausible and inconsistent.”
