Woman who says she was sexually assaulted by Liberal MNA speaks out
Alice Paquet says she was discouraged from holding Gerry Sklavounos accountable because of his position
Alice Paquet was warned about the backlash she would face if she went public with allegations a prominent Quebec politician sexually assaulted her.
But in an interview with Radio-Canada, Paquet said she decided to speak out anyway because she wants MNA Gerry Sklavounos to face consequences for his allegedactions.
Sklavounos was asked to leave the Liberal caucuson Thursdayafter Paquet's allegations were first revealed.
Paquet said the assault happened in 2014, while she was working as a restaurant hostess. She saidthe people around her discouraged her from coming forward at the time.
"They told me, 'He's an MNA. A former lawyer. He knows how to defend himself. You're just a student,'" Paquet said.
But she said she couldn't stand that he kept living his life as if the incident had never happened.
"He sexually assaulted me. It's his career, but is his career worth more than what I lived through? That's the question I asked myself, and [the answer is] no," Paquet said.
The allegations have not been provenandSklavounosdoes not face any charges.
At all times in a sexual encounter we should feel ... free to stop, and not be blamed for it- Alleged sexual assault victim Alice Paquet
He resigned from the Liberal caucus Thursday. CBC and Radio-Canada have tried multiple times to contact Sklavounos, without success.
However, in an interview with the Journal de Montral he said he is completely innocent and has never inhis life sexually assaulted anyone.
'A kiss is not a contract'
Paquet says she met Sklavounos when she was working in a restaurant.
He was there with other politicians.
She says he came to see her and asked what she thought of something they had been discussing. She told him she didn't want to discuss politics at work.
She says he asked if she wanted to have a drink with him and she thought it would be interesting to talk to an MNA, so she agreed.
She says she found him attractive and agreed to go to his room.
"Up to a point I consented," Paquet said.
"But a kiss isn't a contract. An embrace isn't a contract."
When Radio-Canada journalist Anne-Marie Dussault asked Paquet if she said "no," Paquet replied, "I never said 'yes.'"
It's a point she made in a Facebook post about the incident, which was later deleted.
In the post she wrote, "No, I'm not sure I said 'No.' But without 'yes' it's 'no.' I was scared, and at all times in a sexual encounter we should feel totally comfortable. Free to stop, and not be blamed for it either."
She said after the first time they met up,she went to see him a second timeand was sexually assaulted again.
"I was really confused," she said. "I went back, I'm not sure what I was expecting."
Encouraged to keep quiet
In the Facebook post, Paquet said when she went to policeabout a year after the alleged assault, the investigation didn't go anywhere.
During the interview, she said she didn't mean police didn't do enough to help her butthat the peoplein her life were telling her not to speak out.
"Now my loved onesare there for me, but when they first found out, the reaction was, 'What are we going to look like if you go public, do youunderstand the impact it will have?'" she said.
After shewent to police, she didn't feel like she'd be able to handle the investigation on top of being a student and working, so she didn't pursue it,she said.
However, she said she now plans to move forward with the investigation and meet with police.
Paquetsaid she hoped that by taking the microphone at Laval University in Quebec City Wednesday during a vigil she would be encouraging others to come forward.
She said she has overcome what happened with the help of a psychologist.
with files from Radio-Canada
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