| Birth date | June 22, 1962 (age 64) |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Squatec, Quebec, Canada |
| Party | Independent |
| Other party | Parti Québécois (2014-2020) |
| Honorific suffix | MNA |
| Office 1 | Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Rimouski |
| Term start 1 | April 7, 2014 |
| Term end 1 | August 28, 2022 |
| Predecessor 1 | Irvin Pelletier |
| Successor 1 | Maïté Blanchette Vézina |
Harold LeBel (a.ʁɔld lə.bɛl; born June 22, 1962) is a former Canadian politician who was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2014 election.[1] He represented the electoral district of Rimouski as a member of the Parti Québécois until 2022.
In 2022 he was convicted as a sex offender in Quebec.[2]
Biography
Lebel was a candidate for the Parti Québécois three times before being elected, running in Rivière-du-Loup in the 1989 election and the 1994 election, and in Kamouraska-Témiscouata in the 2003 election.[3]
In April 2014, he was elected Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Rimouski.[1] He was reelected in 2018.[4]
On December 15, 2020, he was arrested following allegations of sexual assault against Catherine Fournier, a former member of the National Assembly and mayor of Longueuil, dating back to 2017. He was released later that day, and subsequently expelled from the PQ caucus, pending further investigations.[5]
LeBel was found guilty on November 23, 2022, of sexually assaulting Fournier at his residence in 2017.[2]
On January 26, 2023, at the courthouse of Rimouski, he was sentenced to eight months of imprisonment.[6]
On March 21, 2023, after expressing remorse for his crime during therapies in prison, LeBel was granted parole.[7]
References
- ^ "Le péquiste Harold LeBel élu dans Rimouski avec plus de 40 % des voix" Archived April 8, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Journal L'Avantage, April 7, 2014.
- ^ The Canadian Press (November 23, 2022). "Former Quebec MNA Harold LeBel found guilty of sexual assault". ctvnews.ca/montreal. CTV News. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ "Harold Lebel candidat à l'investiture du PQ". TVA Nouvelles, February 17, 2014.
- ^ "Résultats des élections générales". Élections Québec. November 25, 2021.
- ^ "Harold LeBel removed from Parti Québécois caucus following arrest". Rimouski: Global News. December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ "Former PQ MNA Harold LeBel sentenced to eight months in jail for sex assault | Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca. Global News. January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ^ Marin, Stéphanie (March 21, 2023). "L'ex-député Harold LeBel peut sortir de prison, au quart de sa peine" (in French). ledevoir.com. Le Devoir. Retrieved April 19, 2023.