Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 28/02) - Sexual assault charges were laid against Michel Chretien in Yellowknife Friday evening.

Chretien, who is the adopted son of Prime Minister Jean Chretien, is accused of assaulting an 18-year-old girl at his Yellowknife apartment on July 15.

News that Chretien was under investigation came Friday when Yellowknifer newspaper reported accusations by the girl's mother that Western Arctic Liberal MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew pressured her and her daughter not to press criminal charges.

Blondin-Andrew will only speak through her lawyer on the allegations.

Ottawa lawyer Pat Santini confirmed the two women knew each other and had spoken.

He said he "didn't have all the details concerning the conversations," but he "knew enough" to say "the allegation that (the mother of the victim) was pressured is completely without foundation."

Santini said he was retained late last Thursday.

Blondin-Andrew is scheduled to attend the North American Indigenous Games in Winnipeg this week.

The Office of the Prime Minister issued a statement by Prime Minister Jean Chretien late Friday evening.

Chretien's statement expressed sadness and asked for privacy.

The statement said the incident in Yellowknife may be connected to the younger Chretien's substance abuse problems.

"We have been heartened by the progress (Michel Chretien) had been making," said the statement. "And are deeply discouraged by his apparent relapse."

Drinking party

On the night of the alleged attack, the victim said she and Chretien were drinking heavily with another friend. Chretien assaulted her after the friend left for the evening, she told Yellowknifer.

The victim said she was in a state of shock for about a week after the assault before she broke the silence and told her mother what had happened.

"I was so scared," she said, her body shaking and voice quivering.

Before the complainant decided to go to the Yellowknife RCMP detachment last Wednesday, her mother called Blondin Andrew's Yellowknife constituency office and left a message to be relayed to the prime minister's office.

Soon after, she said she received a series of calls from Blondin-Andrew who she considers a long-time acquaintance. According to the mother, Michel Chretien has in the past stayed with Blondin Andrew.

"I think she was trying to put pressure on me to not press charges, because she almost did it (convinced her not to)," said the mother.

"When I first spoke to Ethel she was really heartbroken and everything ... then she said 'you and I go back a long time.'

"'I just spoke to the prime minister,' she said, and then she told me he is the prime minister, he has all the power and he will fight this case for Michel. Then she told me that 'a lot of dirty things are going to come up about your past and the media will be there.'"

"I almost changed my mind (about pressing charges) because of that," said the complainant's mother.

The mother said Blondin-Andrew called her home three times that day, asking many questions. She said Blondin-Andrew then offered to pay for the victim's family to attend a healing circle.

At the end of their final conversation, the Liberal MP asked if the police had been contacted. When told yes, the mother said Blondin Andrew indicated she would not be calling again and left her number, inviting the mother to call if she needed anything further.

- With files from Jorge Barerra