By Canadian Press

Gilbert Rozon renounces right to preliminary hearing in sexual assault case

Nov 6, 2019 | 10:22 AM

MONTREAL — The Crown says Quebec entertainment mogul Gilbert Rozon has renounced his right to a preliminary hearing and has been ordered to stand trial in a sexual assault case.

Rozon, a founder of Just for Laughs, was charged last December with rape and indecent assault, allegations stemming from a single female complainant and dating back nearly 40 years.

Crown prosecutor Bruno Menard says a slight modification was made to the charges to change the year of the alleged infractions to 1980 from 1979, which he says matches the evidence.

Rozon has selected a trial before judge and jury in Quebec Superior Court, a decision he maintained on Wednesday.

A preliminary inquiry to test evidence and determine if the case should proceed to trial had been scheduled to begin on Nov. 12.

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Instead, Rozon appeared briefly before a judge in Montreal on Wednesday to announce his decision. Neither Rozon nor his lawyer commented after the hearing.

The case returns to court on Dec. 2. The prosecutor says he doesn’t expect a trial before 2020.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2019.

The Canadian Press