By Canadian Press

Trial of Quebec entertainer Eric Salvail hears testimony of sexual assault

Feb 17, 2020 | 10:33 AM

MONTREAL — The trial of Quebec media star Eric Salvail opened today with testimony from a former co-worker who said Salvail cornered him, exposed himself and tried to force him to perform a sex act.

The 50-year-old Salvail faces charges of sexual assault, harassment and unlawful confinement involving a single alleged victim.

Donald Duguay, 47, told the court he and Salvail both worked in the mailroom at Radio-Canada when he first experienced unwanted advances from Salvail.

He said that around Halloween 1993, they were no longer working together but Salvail followed him into a washroom, dropped his pants to expose himself and rubbed himself against Duguay, who said he managed to escape after threatening to scream.

At Duguay’s request, the court has waived the standard publication ban on the identity of alleged victims in sexual assault cases.

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Salvail, who has pleaded not guilty and opted for trial by judge alone, was one of Quebec’s most popular entertainers until he departed show business in 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct were published by Montreal’s La Presse.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2020.

The Canadian Press