By Canadian Press

Lawyer for Montreal police officer facing sex assault charge cross-examines accuser

Jul 13, 2021 | 10:55 AM

MONTREAL — The lawyer for a Montreal police officer on trial for sexual assault is cross-examining the complainant today and focusing on her behaviour during the alleged assault.

Roger Fréchette, a Montreal police officer, faces one count of sexual assault against a woman from Ontario who was visiting Montreal in February 2019.

He is the first police officer to be charged following an independent investigation by Quebec’s police watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes.

The alleged victim is a woman in her 40s originally from Ontario whose identity is protected by a publication ban.

She says Fréchette, who was off-duty, insisted on taking her back to her hotel after a night in police detention and allegedly groped her, licking her neck, grabbing her private parts and putting her hand on his crotch.

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Fréchette’s lawyer, Félix Rémillard-Larose, is questioning the woman about alleged inconsistencies in her version of events.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2021.

The Canadian Press