Léa Clermont-Dion lifts the veil on victims’ journey through the justice system

Is it enough simply to “lodge a complaint” to obtain justice? What awaits victims who dare to lodge a complaint? These are the questions answered by filmmaker, author, doctoral student in political science and feminist Léa Clermont-Dion in the documentary T’as juste à porter plainte presented on noovo.ca. At the heart of this quest, Léa Clermont-Dion examines the pitfalls and hopes of assault victims who choose to “press charges”. The documentary is at once intimate, critical and optimistic.

With this documentary, I want to give a voice to complainants so that they can testify about their journey through the justice system. It’s my way of raising awareness by helping to improve the justice system and the way it treats complainants. – Léa Clermont-Dion

For some, the experience was positive and restorative, while for others it was a real way of the cross. All have emerged profoundly transformed. These testimonies include those of victims from a wide range of social, cultural and economic backgrounds. Among them is young Erika Vincent, whose disturbing story was relayed on social networks in the summer of 2020. Annick Charette and Julie Snyder also lend their voices to the documentary.

Through this remarkable work, Léa is doing useful work at a time when everyone is coming to recognize how ill-adapted our justice system is, both for victims and for dealing with this kind of aggression. Choosing to lodge a complaint means taking the tortuous path that I myself have travelled. More than a documentary, it’s a social gesture with which I’m proud to be associated, in order to change the justice system and ensure a better place for victims. – Julie Snyder

A number of experts bring their diverse perspectives to bear on the issue, including La Presse journalist Yves Boisvert, Clinique Juripop president Sophie Gagnon, Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette, former criminal court judge Céline Lacerte-Lamontagne, as well as representatives from CAVAC and the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions. Produced by Productions ToRoS and co-directed by Léa Clermont-Dion and Gianluca Della Montagna, the documentary T’as juste à porter plainte will first air on noovo.ca in a 3-part series in August 2021, and then air on Canal Vie on December 6, 2021.