Jamie Marsolais was sexually abused by ex priest and former Canada Manpower employee Richard Hickerson and by Hickerson's friend, James Lewis.   

Adjacent:

During James Lewis' sentencing hearing Jamie Marsolais presented Judge Gilles Renaud with a photo of himself as a young child. Photo: (Trevor Pritchard/TP06120701) Cornwall Standard Freeholder        

Media Coverage

09 July 2007: Trying to end the isolation; Pilot project to reach out to survivors of sexual abuse

18 May 2007: Neighbourhood on alert; Victim delivers flyers warning of pedophile's release from jail 17 May 2007:  Man blanketing neighbourhood with warnings about pedophile 

14 February 2007: It's still the same old justice system

13 February 2007: Not the sentence he hoped for: Victim says he got life while his attacker will spend nearly six months in jail

08 December 2006: Abuse has robbed man of his life

07 December 2006: Historical Sex Abuse Victim Reads Emotional Impact Statement  

Jamie Marsolais Affidavit for Standing and Funding at the Cornwall Public Inquiry 

AFFIDAVIT OF JAMIE MARSOLAIS

I, JAMIE MARSOLAIS, of the City of Cornwall, in the United County of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry, in the Province of Ontario, MAKE OATH AND SAY AS FOLLOWS:

1.  I am one of the group of victims (hereinafter referred to as "Victims Group") who was sexually abused in the Cornwall area.

2.  In 1981, at the age of nine, I was sexually abused by Richard Hickerson. This abuse continued for three years.

3.  The Victims Group seeks standing at this Inquiry to ensure that the perspective of the Victims Group is brought before the Inquiry.

4.  As a victim of sexual abuse, my perspective includes the following:
 
a.  The judicial system failed the victims. Richard Hickerson was not prosecuted before he committed suicide. The system, in not prosecuting Richard Hickerson for the abuses he committed, failed in deterring other sexual criminals.

b.  Richard Hickerson did not have to face the consequences of his actions. He was not held accountable for the crimes he committed. This showed a complete lack of regard for the victims of abuse and the struggles that they will face for the rest of their lives.

c.  The support and counselling that I have received to help me deal with the effects of the abuse have been inadequate. Had I received earlier intervention, my life would have been vastly different. I would have felt more able to cope with my emotional trauma.

6.  I developed behavioural problems as I struggled to cope with my guilt and shame. I experimented with drugs and alcohol at the age of sixteen.
 
7.  The abuse has left me emotionally traumatized and I have had periods where I have been unable to work. I have had to rely on social assistance to get by.

8.  Chronic alcoholism and chronic depression with overwhelming feelings of despair has resulted in thoughts of suicide.

9.  My relationships with my spouse and children have been seriously affected by the abuse. I have difficulty trusting people.

10.  I have a great distrust for authority figures since they have failed to respond to my allegations of abuse. Failings of the Institutional Response

11.  I verily believe that the city leaders of Cornwall have failed to take the necessary steps to remove this dark cloud that is hanging over the city.

12.  I believe that further details of my first hand experience as a victim dealing with the Cornwall police and justice system, which is the focus of Part I of this Inquiry, would be beneficial information for the Inquiry. I believe that my experiences and those of other victims must be canvassed by the Inquiry in order for it to fulfill its mandate.
 
13.  My detailed experiences dealing with the police and justice institutions could be obtained by my testimony or the provision of a summary of my experiences. The provision of either would be most effective if counsel were provided to me as it would be to other victims.

Clinical Support

14.  Currently, I am receiving limited psychological help in dealing with the abuse that I endured at the hands of Richard Hickerson.

15.  I am currently not satisfied with the level of support that I am receiving. I, like many other victims, have limited medical coverage to seek the support that we so desperately need. 

16. I verily believe that I will continue to require psychological support and counselling to help me deal with the emotional trauma I have suffered as a result of the abuse.

18.  I further understand that I have the potential for a civil action or application for criminal injuries compensation and that those legal rights may be impacted by my participation within the Inquiry. Accordingly, I believe that I need access to legal counsel, as do other victims like me, in order to fairly participate without detrimental impact upon my civil and administrative remedies.

19.  Having personally experienced the depths of the impact of sexual abuse and the related institutional failings, I, like other victims have the greatest motivation to see the system corrected and improved.

20.  I strongly believe that there is no greater advocate for systematic improvement of the treatment, handling, and prosecution of sexual abuse cases than the victims themselves.

Funding

21.  One of the devastating effects of my sexual abuse has been my inability to maintain gainful employment. I have been clinically diagnosed with depression. For the past three months I have been employed and earn a monthly income of $2,200.00. This is my only source of income. Therefore, in order to participate and be adequately represented at the Cornwall Inquiry I require that Ledroit Beckett, as my counsel of choice, receive funding to represent my interests without which I would otherwise be unable to participate in the Inquiry.

SWORN BEFORE ME at the City of Cornwall,

in the United County of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry,

this I8 day of October, 2005
 
A Commissioner, etc                                    Jamie Marsolais