Sex scandal at detention facility: Premier Legault has ‘full confidence’ in Carmant amid calls for him to resign

By News Staff

Quebec Premier François Legault says he has “full confidence” in the minister responsible for social services, Lionel Carmant, after recent revelations about the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse (DPJ).

BACKGROUND: Educators at Montreal youth detention centre accused of having sex with minors

At least nine educators at the Cité-des-Prairies rehabilitation centre for troubled youth in Montreal allegedly had sexual intercourse with at least five minor residents, and one of the educators had a baby with a detainee.

On Monday, the national director of youth protection, Catherine Lemay, resigned at Carmant’s request in the wake of the new scandal rocking the institution.

Amid calls for Carmant himself to step down, Legault is not turning his back on his minister.

“Yes, I have full confidence,” Legault said on Tuesday. “I know him since a long time and he’s fully committed to help young people. I know that there’s an explosion of the demand. We’ve increased budgets by more than 50 per cent but it’s not enough. It’s not enough. But I have full confidence in him.”

Shortly before Legault spoke to reporters, Carmant confirmed he was not stepping down.

“I take responsibility,” he said. “I am here for a good cause. I will continue to work for young people.”

The Quebec Liberal Party has called for Carmant’s resignation. “He no longer has our confidence,” said interim PLQ Leader Marc Tanguay at a press briefing at the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Québec solidaire (QS) and the Parti québécois (PQ) have also joined the PLQ’s request to hold an emergency debate on the situation at the DPJ.

“Mr. Carmant cannot just roll Ms. Lemay’s head and think that the story ends there. Mr. Carmant has to answer to Quebecers,” said QS MNA Guillaume Cliche-Rivard in a news release.

“Is there a pilot in the plane? Is there anyone following what is happening on the ground? It takes someone responsible, and that responsible person is the minister,” added PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.

The latest scandal also comes at a time when the Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec DPJ has been placed under trusteeship due to revelations by La Presse concerning children who were placed too quickly in a mixed bank with the goal of being adopted.

Carmant, who has been in charge of social services since 2018, told reporters at the National Assembly Tuesday he had control of the youth protection system.

“Things continue to move forward at the network level,” Carmant said. “When we arrived in 2018, youth protection was terrible. The changes to the law in 2015, Bill 10, which had put the DPJ on the second basement, we started funding it again, we started hearing from the DPJ people again. We improved the services, but we are at the rehabilitation centre site. It was in phase 2 of the Laurent Commission, we are in the process of managing it.”

–With files from La Presse Canadienne

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