The trial took place before Judge Richard Daoust of the Court of Quebec, criminal division. The woman chose not to be represented by a lawyer while facing a serious charge of threatening to kill, as well as causing bodily harm to social worker Nancy Poulin.
According to what it was possible to learn during the trial, the dispute between the family and the DPJ goes back a long time, even before the events for which the grandmother found herself before Judge Daoust.
The events for which this woman was charged occurred on February 14, 2023, more or less two months after the birth of her daughter’s child. The DPJ had already removed the child from the mother when she left the hospital. The intervention of the police was necessary at that time to ensure the safety of everyone.
On February 14, 2023, the grandmother and her daughter were summoned to the DPJ. According to what was filed in evidence, and due to the explosive nature of this specific file, the head of the social worker’s department is aware of the events, as is the regional director of the DPJ, Sylvie Gaudreault. The grandmother comes to the DPJ premises at the Youth Center with her daughter. The speakers then agreed that the grandmother would not be able to accompany her daughter.
Videos on TikTok
Still according to the evidence, the grandmother broke the confidentiality of the file by broadcasting numerous messages on the social network TikTok. In these messages, she attacked the DPJ and professionals. The DPJ prosecutors even sent her a formal notice to stop the violations of confidentiality and thus protect the identity of the child.
During the February 2023 meeting, the speakers prepare the meeting and ensure the presence of colleagues at the reception as a security measure. The grandmother and her daughter arrive at the DPJ and take their place in the waiting room. The two social workers come to pick up the child’s mother and inform the grandmother that she will not attend the meeting.
The mother follows the social workers to a room for a brief meeting. It is when leaving the premises that the tone rises. The grandmother threatens the social workers with losing their jobs. She also makes the gesture while looking at Nancy Poulin that she is going to cut her neck by passing her hand over her throat. According to the evidence, the grandmother made this gesture several times before leaving the building, testified social worker Amélie Dassylva, who participated in the meeting.
On a recording submitted as evidence by the grandmother, we hear the latter clearly tell her daughter “she is going to lose her job with this chalice”. The sentence was taken up by Judge Daoust in his decision.
During her testimony, social worker Nancy Poulin explained to the judge that this is the first time in 21 years of intervention that she has had to go to court for threats. The latter also mentioned that she had fears about meeting the grandmother, especially since the latter knew where she lived.
Judge Daoust avoided throughout the trial any mention or evaluation of the work carried out by the social workers which led to the removal of the child from the mother. On the other hand, during her testimony, the victim confirmed that an investigation was carried out by her professional order and that no fault had been found in connection with the work carried out in this case.
“I get up every morning to help the children,” said Nancy Poulin during her testimony.
Conspiracy theory
The grandmother, for her part, returned several times to a conspiracy theory against her family. Again on Friday, after hearing Judge Daoust’s verdict, she spoke of another conspiracy and questioned the court’s decision.
The grandmother finally understood that she was guilty. She asked the judge to send her straight to jail for a few days. Judge Daoust and Me Marie-Ève Saint-Cyr of the Crown showed a lot of patience in arriving at a sentence of three months in the community, accompanied by two years’ probation.
One of the conditions, during detention and two years of probation, is that the grandmother does not have the right to attack the DPJ on social networks, including TikTok. As she left the court, the grandmother blurted out “we’ll see each other again.”
The DPCP’s lawyer, Me Marie-Ève St-Cyr, was satisfied with the sentence. According to her, it was important to send a clear message to society that DPJ professionals do important work, and that they have the right to be able to exercise their profession freely without being threatened with death like this. was the case on February 14, 2023.
Nancy Poulin, for her part, was especially satisfied that the judge believed her testimony.
According to the social worker, it must also serve as an example so that the population understands the environment in which DYP professionals operate. Situations like those experienced during the events of February are not rare, according to Nancy Poulin. She spoke out for herself and also for her colleagues who have to live in the same environment on a daily basis.
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