28 women say Robert Miller paid them for sex when they were minors | CBC News
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WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
Twenty-eight women have provided sworn affidavits alleging Robert Miller gave them cash and gifts in exchange for sex when they were underage, and they’re looking to be added to a class-action lawsuit against the Quebec billionaire.
A total of 29 women have now come forward saying Miller paid them for sex. The sexual encounters allegedly took place over a 20-year period between 1992 and 2012, according to court documents obtained by Radio-Canada.
The class-action lawsuit against Miller and Future Electronics, the company he helped launch, was filed in February by Consumer Law Group.
The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit is a Montreal woman who was 17 at the time she says she met Miller. She met him about 10 times for sex over a two-year period, according to the lawsuit.
Earlier this year, CBC News and Radio-Canada spoke to twelve women who said they were paid cash and gifts in exchange for sex with Miller.
Miller denies the allegations.
In their affidavits, the women explained how the alleged encounters with Miller affected their lives.
One woman, referred to in French as Madame 9 in court documents, says she was 14 when she first had sex with Miller in exchange for $1,500.
In her affidavit, she said she began drinking, using drugs and working in strip clubs. She also said she had suicidal thoughts when she was younger that recently resurfaced once allegations against Miller became public.
The 29 women are seeking $1.5 million each for punitive damages on top of reparations for psychological damage. None of the women are named in the court documents.
The firm representing the lead plaintiff has filed a motion to amend the lawsuit by adding the 28 affidavits. It also wants to include two more defendants: Sam Joseph Abrams and Raymond Poulet, who are associates of Miller.
The women say the pair helped recruit minors and co-ordinated meetings.
Miller’s legal team opposes those amendments. On Friday, it declined CBC/Radio-Canada’s request for comment, citing the ongoing legal process. The case is expected to be back in Quebec Superior Court on Sept. 7.
The class-action lawsuit as a whole has yet to be authorized.
Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you’re in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
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