MONTREAL – Quebec’s culture minister is asking the province’s film industry to withdraw Claude Jutra’s name from its annual awards show amid allegations he slept with young boys.
Helene David is also seeking a list of all the places in Quebec that bear his name so municipalities can decide whether to keep them.
David’s comments this morning come after La Presse quoted a man as saying Jutra began touching him when he was six years old and that the abuse escalated over a 10-year period.
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre also announced today the city would move to withdraw Jutra’s name from various locations.
A biography released Tuesday says Jutra had a penchant for sleeping with young boys.
Jutra committed suicide in 1986 after battling Alzheimer’s disease. The Jutra Awards, which recognize the best in Quebec cinema, have been named after him for nearly 20 years.
