Submission title

Affair Gilbert Rozon

Medium

Radio

Year

2017

Type

Finalist

Team

Émilie Perreault and Monic Néron

Description

While monitoring the #Moiaussi / #Metoo movement on the web, journalist Émilie Perreault, of the Montréal radio station 98.5 FM, came across a post that spoke of an assault by an unnamed but “known, popular, rich man. Our Quebec Weinstein!” Over the course of the investigation, Ms. Perrault and journalist Monic Néron earned the trust of 10 courageous women who went on record to allege they had been harassed and sexually assaulted by Gilbert Rozon, a powerful Quebec businessman and cultural icon. The assaults allegedly took place between 1982 and 2016; two of the women were minors at the time. The day before the first broadcast, Rozon resigned from his private and public positions. Police are investigating over 20 complaints, with others under review. Following the story, the Quebec government created a $25-million emergency fund to help victims of sexual assault, and the head of the provincial law society called for changes to the “rigid” justice system. Cogeco Media was also awarded a Citation of Merit.