For the first time in more than 40 years, Claude Paquin woke up a completely free man after the Quebec Crown prosecutor’s office refused to try him a second time for the murders of Ronald Bourgouin and Sylvie Revah in 1978.
Lawyer Julie Harinen describes the result as “historic and exceptional” because very few murder convictions are overturned in Quebec.
Mr Paquin was first convicted of the murders in 1983, his appeal was later rejected and he spent 18 years in custody before being granted parole.
Projet Innocence Québec took charge of his case. This year, Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani ordered a retrial after finding there were reasonable grounds to conclude a miscarriage of justice had likely occurred.
Mr. Harinen says the prosecutor’s decision to drop the case was based on new evidence that emerged, including the fact that the informant who served as the main witness against Mr. Paquin changed his version of the facts and received money and favors in exchange for his testimony.
Belgium
