Stephanie Marin
Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon walks the hallways of the courthouse waiting for the verdict on his sexual assault trial in Montreal on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson December 15, 2020 - 3:26 PM
MONTREAL - The founder of the Just for Laughs festival, Gilbert Rozon, was found not guilty of rape and indecent assault by a Quebec court judge on Tuesday.
Judge Melanie Hebert said the acquittal does not mean the alleged actions did not occur. It simply means that there remains, in the mind of the court, a reasonable doubt about the guilt of Mr. Rozon, because the prosecution has not discharged its burden, she wrote in her 30-page decision.
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Former entertainment mogul Gilbert Rozon, founder of the Just for Laughs festival, has been found not guilty on charges of rape and indecent assault.
The accusations against Rozon stemmed from a night in 1980 in St-Sauveur, Que., when he was 25 years old. The wording of the charges was based on what was in the Criminal Code at the time.