MONTREAL — A blogger who allegedly glorified the gunman behind Montreal’s 1989 Ecole polytechnique massacre will return to court Thursday for a bail hearing.
Jean-Claude Rochefort’s lawyer and the Crown agreed to postpone the hearing originally set for Tuesday due to the estimated length of the procedure.
Rochefort, 70, is facing charges of inciting hatred towards women after investigators linked him to what police describe as “disturbing” writing published under a pseudonym on a “hateful, anti-feminist blog.”
He was arrested last Thursday, on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the massacre that claimed the lives of 14 women.
Rochefort appeared slightly disoriented in his brief court appearance, but his lawyer said he was deemed capable of understanding the charges against him following a psychosocial evaluation.
Prosecutor Josiane Laplante said the Crown would oppose bail for Rochefort, citing his risk of recidivism and the need to maintain public confidence in the justice system. Police say Rochefort faced charges similar charges in 2009.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2019
The Canadian Press
