The Superior Court on Tuesday authorized a class action against Quebec billionaire Robert Miller, his former company Future Electronics and several of his collaborators, on behalf of women who say they were victims of a system of juvenile prostitution organized for the benefit of men. Montreal businessman.
Published yesterday at 7:46 p.m.
Already 51 women have come forward to participate in this collective action. The Consumer Law Group firm, which is leading the whole thing, however, estimates that in the long term, the number could reach around a hundred women who would have been recruited as teenagers to offer sexual services to Robert Miller.
In her decision, judge Catherine Piché recalls that the exercise of collective action against the former humor mogul Gilbert Rozon had been refused, in another case of sexual assault allegations. Miller’s case is different, underlines the magistrate.
“This case is clearly distinguishable from the Rozon case,” she writes.
Collective action is an appropriate “procedural vehicle” in the case of Robert Miller, specifies the judgment, in particular because of the very similar modus operandi described by many women whose cases could be grouped together.
Several of the women who have come forward so far say they have suffered serious psychological damage and are seeking substantial financial compensation.
The judge, however, recalled that it is too early to draw conclusions on the merits of the case.
“I would like to remind you here that at the authorization stage, the authorizing judge does not look at the merits of the dispute,” she underlined.
Robert Miller is also being sued individually by other women who chose not to join the request for class action.
He also faces criminal charges following an investigation by the City of Montreal Police Department.
His lawyers have repeatedly explained that his precarious state of health will make it very difficult to appear in court. The octogenarian is said to suffer from advanced Parkinson’s disease and is confined to his bed.
Related News :