Quebec MNA files police complaint over hateful online messages

A member of Quebec's National Assembly who has highlighted the online hate and abuse faced by female politicians has taken her complaints to police, saying she wants to encourage other victims to do the same.

Québec Solidaire MNA Christine Labrie announced on Facebook that she filed the complaints in her Sherbrooke riding on Friday.

In a phone interview Monday, Labrie said she felt a "social responsibility'' to help fight threats and online abuse.

"At least my conscience is clear that I did everything in my power to not stand back with my arms crossed when faced with that violence,'' she said.

Later Monday, Quebec Culture Minister Nathalie Roy disclosed that she has also gone to police over threatening messages. An aide to Roy said the minister reported messages she received warning of physical harm on Friday.

Labrie said one of her complaints was for threats and the other was for harassment. The messages were sent to her directly and not published on social media sites, she said.

Labrie raised the issue of online abuse against female politicians last month in the National Assembly, reading into the public record a series of insulting and threatening messages she and other women in her caucus had received.

At the time, she said that while all public figures receive their share of insults, hateful messages, and even calls for them to commit suicide, women are particularly targeted.

"It's been largely documented that women are subjected to more violence than men — up to 27 times more, according to some estimates — and women in politics are particularly targeted, regardless of where they are on the left-right spectrum,'' she told the legislature in late November.

"The more they express themselves publicly, the more violence they experience.''

In a lengthy message on her Facebook page Friday, Labrie wrote that the experience of reporting to the police made her feel better but also made her understand why women are reluctant to come forward. She wrote that the process was time-consuming and also made her question whether her case was serious enough to report.

"The most publicized cases of harassment or threats are generally very intense, so we ask ourselves if our situation is serious enough to warrant a complaint,'' she wrote.

But she also said the police treated her with patience and respect, and she left the station with a sense of accomplishment.

On Monday, Labrie said she decided to share her positive experience in order to encourage other women who are experiencing threats and abuse to report them.

"I was taken seriously by police, so I found it important to send the message that it's possible to be taken seriously when filing a complaint and it's worth doing,'' she said.

A spokesperson for the Sherbrooke police confirmed the force had received the two complaints and had discussed the matter with Quebec provincial police.