August 24 Ottawa Charges of assault […]

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When

1976-08-24

Description

August 24 Ottawa Charges of assault causing bodily harm laid against Constable Robert Gervais and Sergeant Alain Méthot were thrown out of court during a preliminary hearing due to insufficient evidence. George Duthie, one of the acquitted clients in the 1975 "Ottawa Sex Scandal" male prostitution case, had initiated the charges. Duthie claimed that the officers had assaulted him at the police station after his arrest in 1975, but the police did not lay charges until a full year after Duthie had lodged his complaint. The dismissal of the charges by Ontario Provincial Court Judge Phil Baker caused an uproar in Ottawa, with GO charging that the whole case was a whitewash; questions were also raised in the mainstream media, particularly by the Ottawa Citizen, the Ottawa Journal, and CJOH -TV.

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March–April Toronto There were calls […]

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Ottawa

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Phil Baker George Duthie Alain Méthot Robert Gervais

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CJOH Radio Station Gays of Ottawa Gays d'Ottawa GO, Gays of Ottawa Gais de L'Outaouais GO Provincial Court of Ontario / Ontario Court of Justice Ottawa Police Service

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Ottawa Journal Ottawa Citizen

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"Sentence Suspended on Indecency Count," Ottawa Citizen, 11 March 1976, p. 4."Police Escape Justice," Gay Tide, no. 14 (November 1976), p. 11 "Key Witness in Sex Case May Be Charged," Globe and Mail, metro ed., 11 March 1976, p. 10 David Garmaise, "Police Acquittal Causes Public Uproar," Body Politic, no. 27 (1976), p. 5 "Charges by Lawyers about Morality Squad Spark Ottawa Inquiry," Globe and Mail, metro ed., 10 March 1976, p. 4 Peter Bakogeorge, "Judge Clears 2 Policemen of Charges: Duthie Incident," Ottawa Citizen, 25 August 1976, p. 1 Peter Bakogeorge, "Gays Claim 'Whitewash': Police Beating Charges Dropped," Ottawa Citizen, 25 August 1975, p. 47 Bob Avery, "Witness May Face Charges," Ottawa Journal, 11 March 1976, p. 8 Bob Avery, "Police Knew Star Witness Needed Help," Ottawa Journal, 11 March 1976, pp. 1, 5 Bob Avery, "OPP Investigator Studying Sex Case," Ottawa Journal, 9 March 1976, p. 1 "Alleged Sex-Ring Clients' Lawyers Demand Probe of Morality Squad," Globe and Mail, metro ed., 9 March 1976, p. 5 "2 Ottawa Policemen Cleared of Assault in Sex-ring Probe," Toronto Star, four star ed., 25 August 1976, p. A5

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Phil Baker

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