Explicit images related to a sex crime investigation were inadvertently shown to a group of Grade 10 students at a West Island High School on Wednesday during a police presentation.
A Detective-Sergeant with the Sexual Assault Unit of the SPVM, as well as two Crown prosecutors, had been invited by St. Thomas High School to give a presentation on sexual assault and consent.
“When the presenters shifted from showing a video on consent back to their PowerPoint presentation, images from the SPVM officer’s computer related to an ongoing investigation briefly appeared on screen,” wrote the school principal in an email to parents, obtained by CTV News.
“The images depicted nude genitalia.”
According to the Lester B. Pearson School Board, the images were removed from the screen within seconds, and the officer apologized to the students.
But some parents are concerned about the impact those few seconds had.
“It wasn’t random pornography on the internet. It was literally victims of sexual assault that they were witnessing,” said Elizabeth-May Massarelli, a mother of a Grade 10 student who was attending the presentation.
Montreal Police insist no images of victims were shown, but Masserelli says the impact of it remains because that’s what the students thought they had seen.
She says it has shaken the students’ trust in police.
“If you’re a victim of any kind of crime, you want to know the police is on your side and that they’re going to keep your information private,” she said, adding that has not been the takeaway.
“The fact is, they’re saying, if I was in that situation or my friend, I wouldn’t tell them to go to the police because I don’t think they’re going to keep it confidential.”
In a statement to CTV News, Montreal police apologized for the “unprecedented” incident, saying it is implementing immediate measures to prevent any recurrence, including issuing dedicated, pre-programmed laptops for educational presentations.
“The presentation file, stored on a USB key containing only that document, was intended to be displayed using the school’s computer,” wrote SPVM spokesperson Samantha Velandia in an email. “However, a technical issue prevented this. In order to proceed without postponing the presentation, the detective used her SPVM-issued laptop.”
During the presentation, a person assisting with the computer inadvertently opened an incorrect file.
“Although the file contained explicit adult content, it did not include any identifiable individuals, faces, or personal images,” Velandia wrote.
The school board intends to monitor the situation day by day.
“Support services are there,” said Darren Becker, a spokesperson for the Lester B. Pearson School Board. “We’ll see if there’s any trends and monitor this very closely.”
Massarelli believes the students need proper follow-up from experts.
“Help them gain back the confidence that people are actually there to support them through these difficult things that might happen to them or their friend,” she said.
“Give them the tools and the resources and know-how to deal with it.”
The SPVM plans to continue to work closely with the school board to ensure future presentations are conducted correctly.
“Although this was a human error made in good faith,” Velandia wrote, “the supervisor will meet the concerned officer to review the circumstances of the incident and ensure corrective actions are taken.”
Correction
A previous version of this story referred to the images as part of a sexual assault investigation. Montreal police later clarified the investigation is not related to a sexual assault, but another sex crime. No images of victims were shown.
