Thursday, March 28, 2024

Reporter who alleged Justin Trudeau groped her 18 years ago speaks out

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The woman who made the groping allegation against Justin Trudeau in 2000 has issued a statement on the incident, including her full name, on Friday.

In a statement provided to CBC News, Rose Knight confirms that she wrote the unsigned editorial in the Creston Valley Advance, dated Aug. 14, 2000, that accused Trudeau of “inappropriately handling” and “groping” her at a fundraising event while she was on assignment.

The editorial resurfaced last month, which forced Trudeau to respond to the incident—though somewhat hesitantly.

In her statement, Knight says that the incident referred to in the editorial did occur, as reported. “Mr. Trudeau did apologize the next day,” she continues. “I did not pursue the incident at the time and will not be pursuing the incident further.”

Knight says that she has had no subsequent contact with Trudeau, before or after he became prime minister.

Trudeau initially denied any wrongdoing

The resurfaced allegations posed a challenge for Trudeau, who has made feminist issues such as tackling workplace harassment a central component of his campaign and image.

At a campaign stop on Sunday, July 1, Trudeau said he didn’t remember any “negative interactions” with anyone at the event 18 years ago.

On Thursday, he said the following: “Often a man experiences an interaction as being benign or not inappropriate and a woman particularly in a professional context can experience it differently and we have to respect that and reflect on that.”

Brian Bell, the Creston Valley Advance’s editor at the time, told CBC News prior to the release of Knight’s statement that he didn’t think she was traumatized or distraught by the incident, “but definitely that, whatever physical touch or whatever had occurred in that moment was definitely not welcome and definitely inappropriate.”

Knight says that beyond the statement released Friday, she would not be commenting on the story further.

“The debate, if it continues, will continue without my involvement.”

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Myles Sauer
Former staff editor and writer at Victoria Buzz.

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