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MONTREAL – After Jean-Paul Néashish, a former First Nations police chief, was convicted of sexual assault, his lawyer argued for a lenient sentence because the man had been sexually abused at a residential school.

But in a decision this week, Quebec Court Judge Jacques Lacoursière rejected the request, jailing Néashish for six years and noting he was not the only one in the case to have suffered because of his aboriginal status.

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“We cannot neglect to take into account the particular situation of the victims, who are also aboriginal,” the judge said.

“They also suffered from historical factors and years of upheaval and the economic development of this community. In addition to being victims of the accused’s actions, they are victims of a direct and systemic discrimination.”

Néashish’s crimes involved an abuse of power, both as a uniformed police officer attacking inebriated young women or as an adult preying on girls aged 14 and under.