Sexual violence in Quebec schools: part of multiple complaints to Student Ombudsman

Sexual violence in Quebec schools makes up 14 per cent of all the reports and complaints received by the province’s Student Ombudsman – and he says he’s surprised by the figure.

“I had the sense that maybe five per cent of all the complaints will be of sexual violence, but 14 per cent, I was kind of surprised,” said Jean-François Bernier, Quebec’s Student Ombudsman.

Bernier is a lawyer and was appointed to the role by the CAQ government in June 2022. He was given a year to lay out the conceptual and administrative foundations of the new institution, hire staff principally dedicated to supporting the regional protectors, and develop a computer system for processing complaints and reports.

He is in charge of overseeing the organization which is autonomous and external to the school network. He started in the role at the end of August 2023 and says they’ve received around 60 complaints and reports of sexual violence so far – which are added to the 360 complaints and reports they’ve received in total regarding school-related issues.  

“A low month of December because of the [teachers’] strike, but now, from the first weeks of 2024, it’s going up again,” he explained.

The National Student Ombudsman role is to make sure that the rights of students and their parents are respected. The Legault government implemented the Student Ombudsman in response to various sexual violence cases in schools, including a former Montreal elementary school teacher who was sentenced to eight years for sexually abusing five young girls.

“The complaints against other students are in the majority of complaints that we have in sexual violence, but others are in fact against teachers or a member of the staff of the school. But it’s not the majority of the cases that we have.”

Bernier said the role of the province’s Student Ombudsman is to notify the school of the issue and provide recommendations. It’s not to play the role of law enforcement or of the Youth Protection Department. 

“When we put that in perspective, it means one out of eight complaints that he’s receiving at a national level are related to violence, which are sexual violence, which is more than surprising. I think we should be worried,'” said Corinne Payne, executive director of the Québec Federations of Parents’ Committees. Adding that part of the problem is some parents don’t know where they’re supposed to go when filing complaints.  

“Do we need an official law like in universities and in CEGEP that is much clearer, outlines the steps clearer and outlines all the actions that need to be taken and what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable?”

Quebec’s Student Ombudsman will be releasing his first report of recommendations by fall of this year. 

“Right now, it’s a plan. It’s a bullying plan. I don’t think it’s enough. We need to go further. We need to protect our children,” said Payne.