“Twenty years later, I still have memories of it. It’s etched in my memory. I can never forget that. In 34 years of career, the investigation into the murder of Julie Boisvenu is the one that marked Paulin Aubé the most, the one who managed to extract a confession from the murderer. After all these years, the retired policeman realizes that this tragedy has changed a lot of things.
Surveillance cameras in the city center, which had deprived the investigators of essential evidence, for example, now operate continuously.
Twenty years later, the approach has changed. With Mr. Boisvenu’s campaign, we are more aware. We need more support for victims. That’s what it did. We have all made realizations in difficult times. It changed things. It will always be difficult for the victims, the judiciary. It’s not perfect yet. There won’t be a quick fix, but it got better. Unfortunately, the death of Julie Boisvenu is for something major in my opinionsupports the investigator, who was in charge of the file.
A wave of change
Paulin Aubin understands the struggles to find the balance between the rights of criminals and those of victims led by the family of Julie Boisvenu.
The 27-year-old was abducted and randomly killed because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His family intervened on every front to improve the rights of the victims and their relatives.
It has also led numerous prevention and safety campaigns.
We went around the bars and handed out pamphlets to warn young girls about date rape drugs. Also, we did prevention at the level of the buddies, to say “watch the glasses of your girlfriends, it will surely not be you who will put something in them, but a stranger could pass.” It was done over fifteen years, and it gave whatsupports Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, the father of Julie Boisvenu.
These changes, the Center for help and fight against sexual assault (CALACS) – Agression Estrie also notes them.
When you look in the archives, in the annual reports of the CALACSthis is really what triggered the prevention, the openness of the population, the opening of the bar owners, of the CHUS to get together and do this preventionsaid spokesperson Kelly Laramée.
” It’s unfortunate, but that event was a trigger in terms of prevention. “
Downtown merchants also witnessed this movement. We raised the awareness of the SPS a lot [Service de police de Sherbrooke]which is very present in the city center, which makes regular rounds, which enters businesses, in licensed establishments on weekends to see what is going onremarks the owner of the Liverpool bar Annie Faucher.
Possible parole in five years
Hugo Bernier, who was convicted of the murder of Julie Boisvenu, will be eligible for parole in five years. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu promises to oppose it.
” Of course, I will make sure that this guy, if he is released, there is zero possibility of making other victims. “
Julie’s father will retire as a senator next year. It is with the Association of Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared (AFPAD), which he helped to found, that he intends to keep the memory of his daughter alive.
With information from René-Charles Quirion
Radio Canada
Source: Radio-Canada
