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Religious extremist David Popescu's hate speech trial set for Sept. 16

Perennial fringe election candidate distributed DVDs in which he again spread a message of hate against the LGBTQ+ community
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Perennial fringe candidate David Popescu will find out Sept. 16 whether he’s guilty of wilfully promoting hatred against an identifiable group. (File)

Perennial fringe candidate David Popescu will find out Sept. 16 whether he’s guilty of wilfully promoting hatred against an identifiable group.

Ontario Court Justice Heather-Ann Mendes reserved her decision in January following the final day of the trial. The verdict was supposed to be given April 30. However, the courts were closed in March due to COVID-19. 

During the June 2018 provincial election, Popescu distributed dozens of DVDs containing written and video footage of himself citing Bible passages in what he said was an effort to educate the public about the severe warning of God against “the wicked.”

By “the wicked,” Popescu means members of the LGBTQ+ community. During his trial, Popescu said God is very specific in his stance on “homosexuals.”

Popescu, who represented himself at his trial, argued he is protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He also maintained his opposition to the LGBTQ+ community is based on his interpretation of the Bible and, therefore, justified.

“If you try to contradict the word of God, you're a fool, and that's what the courts are doing,” Popescu said. “God's word cannot be criminalized. There are serious matters of sin in today's society in God's view, whose law overrules man's law.”

Popescu was convicted of promoting hatred in 2009 after telling a group of high school students that "homosexuals should be executed," remarks he made during a candidates debate for the federal election. He was sentenced to 18 months probation.

In December 2015, similar charges levied against Popescu were withdrawn. Greater Sudbury Police had charged Popescu with advocating or promoting genocide and for wilful promotion of hatred.

The DVDs at the centre of this trial contain the exact same information as the DVDs that were part of the 2015 trial. Those charges were withdrawn, Popescu argued, and these most recent charges should also be withdrawn, he said.

It was the recipient of one of Popescu’s DVDs who complained to Greater Sudbury Police Service in 2018, leading to the charges.

Assistant Crown attorney Leonard Kim, who prosecuted the trial, said Popescu has used the fact those charges were withdrawn in 2015 as a justification for his message of hate

He called Popescu a “man obsessed with anti-gay rhetoric,” who hides behind the Bible to spread his message of hate.

“These were attacks of hatred that went to the very core of who (people) are,” he said. “It indeed became criminal during the 2018 election, when he zeroed in on (former Premier Kathleen Wynne) for no other reason than the fact she's a lesbian.”


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Arron Pickard

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