PM's son charged with sexual assault

Toronto Sun ^ | 2002-07-27 | CP

[Lorenb420]

YELLOWKNIFE (CP) -- The 33-year-old son of Prime Minister Jean Chretien was charged yesterday with one count of sexual assault.

Michel Charles Chretien, who lives in Yellowknife, appeared before a Northwest Territories Justice of the Peace and was released from custody on conditions of an undertaking.

Chretien was charged after a woman complained to police her 18-year-old daughter had been sexually assaulted at an apartment after a night of heavy drinking.

Met in bar

It was almost exactly 10 years ago that Chretien was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman he met in a Montreal bar.

He was sentenced to three years in prison but because of an appeal did not begin serving his time until 1995.

In February 1998 he was convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend's son, a six-year-old boy, and received a nine-month suspended sentence.

He was also ordered to perform 60 hours of community service and continue psychiatric counselling.

The prime minister and his wife adopted Michel from an Inuvik orphanage in the 1970s.

[mewzilla]

Two things: 1)why the suspended sentence in 1998 (as if I really need to ask)? and 2) Note that the article felt the need to mention that the kid was adopted and from where. That really says it all, doesn't it?

[Guillermo]

I'm sure this guy and Clinton would get along real well.

They could convince each other how "manly" they are by recounting tales of past "conquests".

[mountaineer]

Agreed, his being adopted is completely irrelevant to the fact that he's a criminal and a lowlife. Wonder if he'll get the kid glove treatment from the press that the offspring of a conservative would never get.

[mewzilla]

Doubt he will now, though he never deserved it in the first place. That little tidbit at the end of the article wouldn't have been mentioned otherwise. And incidentally, boy, did I find that little addendum offensive.

[mountaineer]

As the aunt of two adopted girls, I also find it offensive and gratuitous.

[badfreeper]

Was it his booze? She's 18, and the drinking age in NWT is 19. He could have been charged with supplying liquor to a minor as well.

[martin_fierro]

O tempora!

O mores!

O Canada!

<|:)~

[Great Dane]

Amazing what you can get away with, when you're the son of a Prime Minister.

[two23]

""It was almost exactly 10 years ago that Chretien was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman he met in a Montreal bar.""

Is that name pronounced "cretin"???

[Catspaw]

Three of my cousins are adopted. What difference does it make? Are they trying to blame his adoption on the fact that he's a rapist? If so, it's disgusting.

[muawiyah]

What is this guy getting away with? Looks like he keeps getting caught.

His punishment is not out of line with what's handed down here for the same sort of stuff. In California he probably would have served even less time.

[Moose4]

As the aunt of two adopted girls, I also find it offensive and gratuitous.

Not only that, can you imagine how pissed off the Inuits will be? That culture's fighting hard to bring down alcoholism and domestic violence rates, just like a lot of the Indian tribes in the US, and so when the paper says "Oh, yeah, and they adopted him from an Inuvik orphanage, doesn't that explain it all? (wink wink nudge nudge say no more)"...yup, that's straight-up offensive. If a conservative publication said it in that fashion, the press would be screaming "racist fishwrap!" faster than you could imagine.

}:-)4

[dighton]

Michel Charles Chretien, who lives in Yellowknife ...

I wonder if he was once given a choice: Yellowknife or prison.

[Great Dane]

He is a triple offender, he should get much stiffer sentences.

[Great Dane]

#14...... Had he been a Nobel price winner, there would be no mentioning of adoption.