Canada's Trudeau, facing groping allegation, says he apologised, did nothing wrong

[webfact]

Canada's Trudeau, facing groping allegation, says he apologised, did nothing wrong

By David Ljunggren

 

FILE PHOTO: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 31, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo

 

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a supporter of feminist causes, on Thursday conceded for the first time that he had apologised in 2000 to a woman who accused him of groping her but insisted he did not feel he had done anything wrong.

 

Trudeau, whose government is working on new legislation against workplace harassment, has faced Canadian media scrutiny in recent weeks about what happened at a charity fundraiser in Creston, British Columbia nearly 20 years ago.

 

In his first direct comments on the incident on Canada Day last Sunday, the prime minister said he "didn't remember any negative interactions that day at all", but on Thursday he said "I apologised in the moment" without giving details.

 

According to an unsigned editorial in 2000 in the local newspaper, the Creston Valley Advance, Trudeau apologised to a local female reporter for inappropriately "handling" her.

 

The allegation resurfaced last month after Canadian political commentator Warren Kinsella tweeted a picture of the 20 year old editorial and used the Twitter #MeToo hashtag.

 

Many women in the United States and other countries have publicly accused men in business, government and entertainment of sexual harassment and abuse, giving rising to the #MeToo social media movement.

 

"I've been reflecting very carefully on what I remember from that incident almost 20 years ago and, again, I feel, I am confident, I did not act inappropriately," Trudeau, 46, told reporters in Toronto in televised remarks on Thursday.

 

Trudeau, citing the increasingly open discussion in society about sexual assault, conceded the woman in question could have come away from the encounter in August 2000 with a very different interpretation of what had happened.

 

"I do not feel that I acted inappropriately in any way but I respect the fact that someone else might have experienced that differently," he said. "If I apologised later then it would be because I sensed that she was not entirely comfortable with the interaction we had."

 

Trudeau said no one on his team had reached out to the women because they did not feel it was appropriate.

 

The woman told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp earlier this year that she was not interested in being associated with any further coverage of the story, and asked that her name not be used, and that she not be contacted about the story again. Reuters and other media have attempted to contact the woman as a result.

 

At the time of the original complaint Trudeau had not yet become involved in politics but was widely known to Canadians as the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

 

He attended the fundraiser in Creston to support avalanche safety. His brother, Michel Trudeau, was killed in an avalanche in 1998.

 

(With additional reporting by Andrea Hopkins in Ottawa; editing by Amran Abocar and Clive McKeef)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-06

[Damrongsak]

" Trudeau said no one on his team had reached out to the women because they did not feel it was appropriate. ..."

 

Of course no one reached out when their boss already had a handful. 

[ezzra]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

he had apologised in 2000 to a woman who accused him of groping her but insisted he did not feel he had done anything wrong.

 

Strangely enough, none of the men accused of mistreating women thinks they have done something wrong, but since the PC and the #Me too frame of minds  are now the new norm and the nighty are falling, so should he fall on his sword...

[BritManToo]

I thought he was gay, so I believe he didn't mean to grope her (wife and kids are a beard).

I fell over once and touched a woman's breast on the way down, said sorry, got up, walked away and though nothing of it.

Shit happens.

Edited July 6, 2018 by BritManToo

[roquefort]

Quote

The woman told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp earlier this year that she was not interested in being associated with any further coverage of the story, and asked that her name not be used, and that she not be contacted about the story again. Reuters and other media have attempted to contact the woman as a result.

Says everything really. Just s**t stirring by the media desperate to dig up some dirt on a politician who appears squeaky clean. Move along, nothing to see here.

[blazes]

He's not a Weinstein (and certainly sounds gay), but why should the "metoo" brigade cut him any slack?  

[attrayant]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I thought he was gay, so I believe he didn't mean to grope her (wife and kids are a beard).

 

Just because you think a guy is cute and you get a tingly feeling in your special place, doesn't necessarily means that he's gay.

 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2018 by attrayant

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

he had apologised in 2000 to a woman who accused him of groping her but insisted he did not feel he had done anything wrong

he now demands a counter-apology from the woman: after groping I did not feel anything

[Jingthing]

On the groping issue, societies are going to need to differentiate between MINOR incidents and SEVERE ones (Weinstein being the classic). It's ridiculous to conflate the two. Minor incidents shouldn't ruin anyone's career. 

[blazes]

20 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

On the groping issue, societies are going to need to differentiate between MINOR incidents and SEVERE ones (Weinstein being the classic). It's ridiculous to conflate the two. Minor incidents shouldn't ruin anyone's career. 

 

If we can unscramble your pontifications (acting like a Pope, rather than a Bridge to understanding), what you are in fact saying is:  "All men are equal, but some are more equal than others".  

 

PS "cuck" is a shortened form of "Canuck"; sorry if it's confusing....

Edited July 6, 2018 by blazes

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, blazes said:

 

If we can unscramble your pontifications (acting like a Pope, rather than a Bridge to understanding), what you are in fact saying is:  "All men are equal, but some are more equal than others".  

No that is not what I'm saying, but you have interesting brain filters. 

[Scott]

Troll post and replies removed.  

 

[Krataiboy]

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Here's me throwing the first stone.

I did not grope that woman! 

[Krataiboy]

Just now, Jingthing said:

Here's me throwing the first stone.

I did not grope that woman! 

Having seen the girlie way you chuck a stone, I believe you!

[Jingthing]

18 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Having seen the girlie way you chuck a stone, I believe you!

Why would you assume I throw in a girlie way? 

Edited July 6, 2018 by Jingthing

[Krataiboy]

22 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Why would you assume I throw in a girlie way? 

Just kidding - definitely, after seeing your picture!

[Mac98]

Fifty years ago I was a swimming instructor. One student, a young lady, went underwater and groped me. She surfaced with a smile and said "oops". Should I hunt her down and file charges?

[canuckamuck]

As much as I would like to see Trudeau vanish from the universe, it's got to be bloody obvious that he would be the last guy to be a groper. Most of the female cabinet ministers are more masculine than him.

If it did happen it was more likely he was checking out the fabric of the ladies outfit.

[mok199]

this allegation will of course lead to other woman coming forward and jumping his bandwagon...show me one man on this planet who hasn't in some way offended a woman...I am not a Justin fan ,I am tired of  the direction woman insist men behave..they don't want equal rights ,they want men beneath woman...its payback time and hell hath no fury like woman scorned

Edited July 7, 2018 by mok199
speliings

[faraday]

Yes, all men are rapists.

 

We live in a patriarchal society.

 

It's all so unfair.

 

SJW

 

[lovelomsak]

15 minutes ago, faraday said:

Yes, all men are rapists.

 

We live in a patriarchal society.

 

It's all so unfair.

 

SJW

 

You forgot men are all gropers , voyuers, and sex maniacs,who should be whipped regularly and made to  sleep on marble beds ,with horse hair blankets and eat only bread and water.

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

You forgot men are all gropers , voyuers, and sex maniacs,who should be whipped regularly and made to  sleep on marble beds ,with horse hair blankets and eat only bread and water.

Marble is far too luxurious. It should be rocks.