Quebec wants to fix a problem with a federal law that lets hundreds of people who have been convicted of sexual assault serve their sentences at home rather than in jail. Simon Jolin Barrette, the justice minister of Quebec, claims that the province will ask the next federal government to tighten regulations regarding what he refers to as “Netflix sentences,” which have significantly increased in number over the past three years. The minister told reporters on Tuesday that the problem is due to Bill C-5, a law enacted in November 2022 by the Trudeau government to reduce discrimination in the justice system. The province claims 52 offenders were eligible to serve their sentence at home the year before it went into effect. However, that number increased to 263 in 2023 and 2024, followed by 347. We want victims to report incidents immediately, and that law did not assist,” he added. “The offenders are found guilty and sentenced to Netflix.” According to Jennie-Laure Sully, a community organizer and advocate from the Concertation des luttes contre l’exploitation sexuelle (CLES), she and her colleagues frequently hear complaints about these “insulting” sentences served at home. She added, “It’s really an issue.” Victims have stated that they would feel safer and more validated if their perpetrators served time in prison. She stated that despite the fact that it is already challenging for victims of sexual assault and exploitation to come forward for a variety of reasons, this only serves to further discourage individuals from doing so and filing charges. “It’s giving the perpetrators a message that they can do this without being punished much,” Barrette asserts that he would like the subsequent federal government to enact stricter laws. Both the Liberals and the Conservatives have promised to crack down on crime during the campaign, and Pierre Poilievre has spoken more directly about sentencing this week.
‘Netflix sentences’ for sexual assault aggressors and why Quebec wants feds to address it
