FREDERIC SERRE
The 1510 West

The fate of two brothers charged with the July 2021 kidnapping of their 16-year-old sister at the Kirkland restaurant where she worked is in the hands of a Quebec Court judge, who yesterday heard from the prosecution and the defence as they made their final arguments.

Judge Thierry Nadon presided over the trial of the victim’s brothers, ages 25 and 26 at the time of the incident almost four years ago, in which they allegedly stormed the restaurant on St. Charles Blvd. and forced the girl into a waiting vehicle before driving off. The abduction touched off an Amber Alert, with Montreal police setting up a command post in front of the restaurant. Several hours later, as police searched the West Island, the brothers dropped off their sister at a local police station. The identities of the girl and her brothers – who are charged with kidnapping, assault and uttering threats – are protected by a publication ban.

In a court appearance last November, a third individual, identified as a friend of the brothers, admitted he was at the wheel of the getaway vehicle. A colleague of the girl told the court that as the victim was being dragged out of the restaurant, she was screaming for someone to call 911. The accused eventually pleaded guilty to forcible confinement.

In a twist of events last week, the victim chose to testify on behalf of her brothers, saying the abduction was a big misunderstanding, adding they were only trying to help her, as she had been going through a difficult and rebellious stage.