MONTREAL — A Quebec police chief has defended the decision to arrest a reporter after the subject of a story he was working on lodged a complaint of criminal harassment. Gatineau police Chief Mario Harel held a news conference Friday to defend the process that led to Trepanier’s arrest this week. “We have the obligation to listen to the (alleged) victim, take their statement and, with that statement, we assess the situation. The CBC’s French-language network said the reporter first contacted Dube on Monday and spoke to her for 20 minutes. Canadian Journalists For Free Expression also said it is “gravely concerned” by the decision to arrest Trepanier and called on the Crown to withhold charges given the impact a charge could have on press freedom.

Source: thestar March 16, 2018 20:37 UTC