Justin Trudeau Accused of Groping Reporter in 2000

In a recently resurfaced editorial, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau appears to apologize for “inappropriately handling” a young journalist nearly 18 years ago.

WOW. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was accused of "groping" a young female reporter on assignment in August 2000. "Like father, like son" reads the editorial. https://t.co/7GiBEd6RIr — Candice Malcolm (@CandiceMalcolm) June 7, 2018

According to the Creston Valley Advance, Trudeau told the young woman: “I’m sorry. If I had known you were reporting for a national paper, I would never have been so forward.”

Here is a slightly better quality image of an editorial in the August 14, 2000 Creston Valley Advance, a local B.C. paper, which claims Justin Trudeau apologized for "inappropriately handling" (or "groping" in the paper's words) a female reporter. pic.twitter.com/fZ748QqWYX — Sean Craig (@sdbcraig) June 7, 2018

The editorial, largely dismissive of the apology, chides Trudeau over what the author perceives as a lack of self-awareness as the son of former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

“[S]houldn’t the son of a former prime minister be aware of the rights and wrongs that go along with public socializing?” the editorial asks.

“Didn’t he learn through his vast experiences in public life, that groping a strange young woman isn’t in the handbook of proper etiquette, regardless of who she is, what her business is or where they are?”

Trudeau, a champion of the #MeToo movement, penned an essay in 2017 urging parents to raise their boys as feminists.

“[O]ur sons have the power and the responsibility to change our culture of sexism,” Trudeau wrote, adding, “Our sons have the power and the responsibility to change our culture of sexism.”

The 43-year-old leader unveiled a federal “gender equity” budget in February to reduce the pay gap between men and women.

Amid tense negotiations with the U.S. on NAFTA and tariffs, Trudeau plans to make gender equality a “top priority” at the G7 leaders’ summit in Quebec this week.