Future Electronics CEO resigns
It’s been a big story this week that Robert Miller, billionaire CEO of Pointe Claire’s Future Electronics, has been accused of paying for sex with underage women for years (those are links to the same story on Radio‑Canada and CBC).
Miller has now resigned from his position, vowing to fight the accusations. La Presse finds that, while police knew about the allegations, they also knew Miller has the resources to fight tooth and nail in court.
Ephraim 15:46 on 2023-02-04 Permalink
There is a problem with the law as well that helps rich people hide this… an example is the case of “Katie Johnson” in the US. The parents take it to court and when their palm is sufficiently greased, the drop the case and everything disappears. When, in truth the courts should require that a guardian ad litem should automatically be required and the money, if any, should be placed in a trust with a annuity that pays out over 10 years or so after the child has reached age of majority along with an amount for mental health services.
We don’t do enough to protect children from bother those who may abuse them sexually AND financially. The parent should not be allowed to financially gain from the situation… EVER!
Meezly 16:13 on 2023-02-04 Permalink
‘There is no such thing as an “underage woman.” Underage women are girls.’
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/08/jeffrey-epstein-and-the-myth-of-the-underage-woman/596140/
Meezly 11:54 on 2023-02-05 Permalink
Since that Atlantic article about Epstein, it’s at least been heartening to see reputable journalists avoiding the oxymoronic misnomer “underage women” when referring to minors who’ve been victims of sex crimes.
I hope Miller finally gets what’s coming to him.
Kate 15:02 on 2023-02-06 Permalink
Thank you for the clarification on “underage women” after I used the phrase above, Meezly.
In my defense, I’d say: a girl is a woman once she’s reached puberty, so there’s a period of time between then and the age of consent when she’s biologically mature but not regarded as old enough to assent to sexual activity. (Canada’s age of consent is 16, although you’ll find commentary written here in which the assumption is made that it’s 18 as in the U.S.)
Depending on context a female person aged 14 or 15 could be described as a girl or as an underage woman, I think.
Which is not to say, remotely, that it’s OK for a billionaire to use his clout to get access to women still in their teens. Age of consent, age of majority, whichever – it’s creepy and if they can get him on it in cases where it was squarely illegal, I hope they do.
MarcG 15:53 on 2023-02-06 Permalink
I think the test of this is to flip the gender and see how that feels: “14-year old underage man” sounds bizarre. Why?
Kate 21:33 on 2023-02-06 Permalink
I can’t justify it except that I write by the seat of my pants and, to me, “underage women” has a meaning while “underage men” doesn’t so much. The boundary between boys and men falls conceptually in a slightly different place than the one between girls and women. But I’d be hard put to defend why this is.