Seven: Child Witnesses - 'By Psychological Definition... A Disservice to the True End of Justice': Soulière, 1951-52

AuthorConstance Backhouse
Pages165-192

Chapter
CHILDWITNESSESBY
PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFINITION . . .
A DISSERVICE TO THE TRUE END
OFJUSTICESoulière
MThasbeenchangedtoprotectherprivacywas
barelyveyearsoldShebravelystoodupastallasshecouldmusterbut
her slight frame must have been dwarfed by the witness box in the impos
ingcourtroominHullQuébeconDecemberThetaleshehadtotell
wasshockingbutsadlycommonplaceShepointedtofortysevenyearold
OvilaSoulièreandidentiedhimasthemanwhohadsexuallyassaulted
herinthelatesummerofFewrecordssurviveforthiscasemakingit
diculttoreconstructthenarrativeindetailHowevertheresultisknown
OvilaSoulièrewasconvictedattrialaverdictthatwaslaterquashedbythe
QuébecCourtofAppeal Despite the skeletal factual record, Marie Trem
blayscaseprovidesausefulillustrationofthedicultiesfacingchildvic
timsandanopportunitytoexplorethedoctrineofcorroborationoneof
the most signicant hurdles facing sexua l assault complainants It is also
fascinating for what it reveals about the perspectives of judges, jurors, legal
theoristsandsocalledexpertsaboutthecredibilityofwomenandchildren
who claimed to be sexually assaulted.
AtleastsomeofthefactscanbediscernedMarieTremblaysparentswere
separatedShesharedatwostoreyhouseinSouthHullwithhermotherand
Ovila Soulière The French phrase viv ant marita lement was t ranslated in
the English report of the decision to descr ibe the couple as living “in concu
binageWhetherOvilaSoulièresstatusasMmeTremblaysloverpredated
orpostdatedhermaritalbreakdownwasamaerofspeculationWhatever
ナハハCarnalCrimes
thesituationasthejudgeswouldnoteitlelileMarieTremblaydansun
trèsmauvaismilieuinaverybadenvironment
OvilaJosephSoulièrewashimselfmarriedtoAdrienneCôtéwhomhe
had wedi n nearby Deschênes in A workingclass labourer f roma n
Outaouais family of unskilled labourers, Ovila held down a variety of jobs
thatoccasionallytookhimacrosstherivertoOawaasalabourerwiththe
federal district commission, and as a shipping clerk with an instrument re
pairrmHedeniedMarieTremblaysassertionsthathehadawakenedher
inherbedroomonthegroundoorofthehouseandabusedhersexually
JairienàdiredutoutsurlesujetdelapetitejesuisinnocentdelachoseJeconnais
riendelachoseparcequelapetitellejeluiaijamaistouchéIhavenothing
atalltosayonthesubjectofthelilegirlIaminnocentoftheaairIknow
nothingaboutthemaerbecauseIhavenevertouchedthelilegirlMaries
mother sided with her paramour, insisting that Ovila had never sexually
molested her daughter. She claimed that Marie slept in a bedroom next to
hersandnotonthegroundoorasthelilegirlhadsaidandthatOvilahad
neverlehisbedtogotoMaries
Hullwasabluecollarpredominantlyfrancophonetownonthenorth
shoreoftheOawaRiveracrossfromthenationalcapitalofOawaIni
tiallyseledbyanglophoneNewEnglandersitaltereditscompositionin
themidswhenFrenchCanadianindustrialworkersdisplacedtheearly
agriculturalselersAseriesofcatastrophicreswreakeddevastationupon
Hullsarch itectural pretensions culm inating with the Great Fire of 
whichlevelledtwothirdsofthepredominantlywoodenbuildingsNewsaw
millssteelfoundrieslumberingmeatpackingandtextileindustriesblos
somed, crowned by the E.B. Eddy factories perched on the edge of the river.
DuringProhibitionworkingclassHulldevelopedabeertownreputation
andwasdubbedLileChicagobyrevellersfromOntariowhocrossedby
ferrytodrinkandgambleinspeakeasiesonJacquesCartierStreetButthe
citysindustrialinfrastructurebegantocrumblebythesandinferior
housingandworkertenementsreectedthestarkpovertyandunemploy
mentofmostresidentsInHullwasstagnatingacitythathadseen
andwouldseebeerdays
Child Sexual Abuse
S  been a terrifying reality for Canadian children,
both male and female. Contrary to the opinion of modern commentators,

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