Cult Child Rapists

Cornwall
Project Truth inquiry Diocese lawyer didn’t tell cops or CAS about
priest child rape 1980s – Leduc himself was charged with child rape

Abuse complaints didn’t go to city police: Leduc
July 15 2008

A church committee that investigated sexual abuse complaints involving
a city priest in the mid-1980s didn't recommend turning over those
allegations to police, the Cornwall Public Inquiry heard yesterday.
Former diocesan lawyer Jacques Leduc said the decision not to tell
either the Cornwall Police Service or the Children’s Aid Society about
the accusations against Rev. Gilles Deslauriers was based largely on
the fact the victims were adults when they came forward. "I am fairly
certain that that is the reason why," said Leduc, 57.

Leduc, who began testifying at the inquiry Monday, was one of three
people the Alexandria–Cornwall Roman Catholic Diocese appointed in
early 1986 to look into claims Deslauriers was abusing young men.
Deslauriers would plead guilty that November to four counts of gross
indecency. He was sentenced to two years’ probation.

Leduc told the inquiry – which is examining how institutions like the
diocese handled historical sexual abuse allegations – that the
committee was set up to take statements from a number of people who
had contact with Deslauriers. Included on that list was Benoit
Brisson, one of Deslauriers' victims, and members of Brisson’s family.
The committee didn’t consider approaching people who weren’t mentioned
in their mandate, Leduc told inquiry lawyer Karen Jones.

In May 1986, the committee delivered its final report to Bishop Eugene
LaRocque. It made six recommendations, including that Deslauriers not
be transferred to another diocese without first undergoing
psychological treatment, that the priest would be on the hook
financially for victims' counselling, and that their report be sent to
the pope’s representative in Canada.

But nowhere in the report, Jones pointed out, were recommendations
that the victims’ allegations be given to an outside agency. "Did you
ever do any follow up with your client to see if they had been
actually followed?" she asked. "No," said Leduc.
"Did you ever meet with the committee or the bishop specifically to
discuss the report?" asked Jones. "There was never a meeting with the
bishop and the committee," said Leduc.

The CPS launched its own investigation into Deslauriers after
Brisson’s parents went to police on May 21, 1986. Despite not having a
background in criminal law, Leduc said he provided legal assistance to
members of the diocese during the CPS investigation. He was also
on-hand when three church members gave statements to police. Leduc was
never formally questioned by the CPS – something Jones suggested was
odd, given Leduc was "intricately involved" with the church committee.
"I suspect it may have been difficult as legal counsel for the diocese
to provide a statement in an investigation, " said Leduc. "I’m thinking
that they probably knew that."

Leduc also set up a June 16, 1986 meeting between police and LaRocque
at the bishop's home. According to a statement by Ron Lefebvre, one of
the CPS investigators, LaRocque refused to answer any questions that
day and was willing to "go to jail first" before testifying against
his priests in court. Leduc said he spoke to LaRocque shortly before
the interview. "I explained to him his legal obligation to appear at
court if he was summoned, and answer the questions," said Leduc. "I
also explained to him that he could refuse to give a statement to police."

While LaRocque remained quiet during the interview, Lefebvre’s
statement suggested LaRocque had met informally with police the month
before and had described Deslauriers as a "very forceful character"
who could "influence people, even bishops." At the start of Monday's
hearings, Jones set out the two major areas she would be exploring
with Leduc: his involvement in the Deslauriers case, and his role in a
$32,000 settlement the diocese negotiated in 1993 after David Silmser
accused a priest of sexually abusing him when he was an altar boy
decades earlier.

Leduc himself was charged with sex crimes in 1998 during the Ontario
Provincial Police’s Project Truth investigation, a four-year probe
into allegations a pedophile clan was operating unchecked in the
Cornwall area. Leduc’s charges were thrown out in 2004, after a judge
ruled they’d taken too long to come to trial. Jones gave no indication
she would be asking Leduc about his Project Truth charges. Neither
lead commission counsel Peter Engelmann nor Leduc’s own lawyer, Steven
Skurka, would comment on the matter yesterday. The inquiry is set to
resume today at 9 a. m.
http://www.standard– freeholder.com/PrintArticle .aspx?e=1114041

 

 

Luc Majno