The trial of Eric Dejaeger omi continues in Iqaluit, Nunavut this morning, Wednesday, 19 March 2014.
Not a good news day at all yesterday. Justice Kilpatrick has ruled that the Crown can not cross-examine on the facts underlying Dejeager’s prior convictions. Here is the ruling:
Let’s hope and prays that this is not a bad sign of things to come. Please keep the many victims and complainants in your prayers. I am sure they are deeply concerned
*****
This morning (Wednesday 19 March 2014) is sentencing day for Father Joe LeClair:
19 March 2014: 10 am, courtroom #10, Ottawa, Ontario courthouse (161 Elgin St.)
There has been lots of talk on the local radio station regarding sentencing. There are those who are adamant that there should be no jail time because Father has addiction problems, has done a lot of good. and has suffered and been humiliated enough already. And there are those who insist for a number of reasons that Father should ‘do his time’ like anyone else who commits such a crime.
Later this morning we shall see where this goes. The bottom line is that Father Joe LeClair is a criminal. I think anyone who steals thousands upon thousands of dollars from anyone should spend time in jail. Father LeClair stole thousands upn thousands. I can not think of one good reason why Father Joe should be exempted from serving time, and would hope and pray that the fact that he is a Roman Catholic priest will not be grounds for such exemption.
Finally, as promised, the following are the emails exchanges with the Archbishop diocese regarding the allegations against Father Joseph LeClair. My initial email of 18 January was sent to Archbishop Prendergast and copied to Monsignor Kevin Beach (Vicar General). As you see, at the Archbishop’s request, Monsignor Beach responded.
I don’t know what I expected as a response, but it certainly was not the one I received. I replied only yesterday, sending my response to both the Archbishop and Monsignor Beach. The Archbishop’s bounced. I believe it is clear that I was addressing the Archbishop so trust it shall to forwarded.
In my email of 28 January 2014 to the Archbishop I copied the comment posted on Metro News by Kenneth McGrath. I copied the comment in its entirety, phone number and all. I have deleted the phone number from that email below. As most of you know, I don’t usually post phone numbers publicly, no matter the reason.
I shall sign off here and leave you to read the emails
Enough for now,
Sylvia
_______________________
The Emails
28 January 2014 (cc Monsignor Kevin Beach)
Archbishop Terrence Prendergast
1247 Kilborn Place
Ottawa, ON
K1H 6K0
28 January 2014
Your Grace;
An Ottawa man (Kenneth McGrath) has publicly alleged that about 25 years ago he was subjected to sexual overtures by Father Joe LeClair. In the event that you have not yet been advised of these now very public allegations I am pasting them below.
I contacted and spoke to Mr. McGrath at length and was able to attain more details regarding such things as the reference to police involvement. Mr. McGrath was very willing to talk and stands firmly by his allegations.
I firmly believe that the fact that this man does not at this time intend to report to police should not and must not negate a thorough investigation by the Archdiocese of Ottawa. Whether or not Father LeClair has preyed on the vulnerable is a matter which must be addressed.
As one of the many Roman Catholics who is all too sadly very aware of the immense and long term damage done by predatory priests I am asking both that you thoroughly investigate these allegations, and that Roman Catholics in the Ottawa Archdiocese be publicly advised of both the investigation and the outcome of this very public allegation.
By way of background, Mr. McGrath posted his allegations against Father LeClair on “Father Joe LeClair should not serve jail time for defrauding church: Lawyer,” an article published in the 21 January 2014 edition of Metro News The following link will open to the article.
Scroll down the page to the foot of the article and then to the one comment posted by Kenneth McGrath. My understanding is, though I can not verify, that the comment was posted on the morning of 22 January 2014. I was advised of the comment on the evening of the same day.
The following is the comment which was cut and pasted from today (28 January 2014) from Metro News online::
o
o
Having read your article and having more inside details on the facts of
Mr. Joseph LeClair’s history, I sincerely feel that the “Oh he’s the
poor Priest, he’s only human after all.” is a psychopathological level
“spin” on this MONSTROUSLY pathetic excuse for a human being.
First of all, he’s no longer a “Father” of the Holy Roman Catholic
Church, nor a member of the Society of Jesus from what I am told. He’s
now just a “man” like any other man.
Now, not to insult your
writing, nor to insult the parishioners who’ve been duped into
supporting him in Court, but I wish to inform you that while he’s done
lots of “good” in the past, Mr. Joseph LeClair has many, many personal
demons.
FACTS
• That man also, in my presence, made repeated sexual comments about his young parishioners and pastoral care group members.
• That man also, tried to lure me into his bedroom secretly, and
un-chaperoned when I was at my most vulnerable in the early stages of
battling my own addiction for which I am now twenty-five plus (25+)
years clean now.
• That man also, tried to have me touch him
inappropriately, a matter that the Church’s staff followed-up with the
Ottawa Police and, failing my testimony as I remained anonymous at the
time, went nowhere.
• That man also, attempted to harm me by touching me inappropriately at the time.
• This all happened approximately twenty-five years ago when I was
recovered from my own addiction issue(s) and sought his spiritual
guidance as my family comes from PEI and we’ve been practising Catholics
since we came to Canada from Ireland during the famine. I now consider
my own spirituality a private matter between myself and the higher
power of my own understanding.
He is a very sick human being,
who needs to confess ALL of his mistakes to the public, and to ask the
God of his understanding for forgiveness and mercy.
I have
forgiven him and moved on a long time ago but I want you to know about
these facts. Not even my mother has been told what happened. I told my
(now) ex-wife and she didn’t believe me so she actually called to
confront him a long time ago and he denied everything (surprise,
surprise).
Well, I’m among those who are in recovery who has
never CHOSEN to steal to from anyone to fund any of my historical
addictions. “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” as the saying goes
but I definitely feel that it is of VITAL importance that the public
know who this man really is before he is sentenced.
So, I am
among those who wish to see karmic justice prevail with him. He needs
to spend time in jail now where he belongs because he has not only
broken the law but, as a Priest of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, he
was besmirched the honor of the Church and it’s Body by his pathetic,
selfish example, both for the public and secret crimes that he most
certainly has committed.
You may quote me anonymously or
publicly on all of the above as I fear nothing now in relation to him.
It’s now the word of an honest layperson vs. the dishonest character of a
defrocked Priest that will prevail.
I am posting this letter openly on Facebook as well.
Thank you,
Kenneth M.F. McGrath
[…]
Yours truly,
Sylvia C. MacEachern
_____________________
05 February 2014
Mrs. MacEachern,
The Archbishop has asked me to reply to your email.
If you are in contact with Mr. McGrath, please advise him that our Protocol Regarding the Sexual Abuse of Minors by Clergy and Religious Clerics can be found on our diocesan web site at http://archottawa.ca/documents/administration/ProtocolSexAbuse.pdf
You will note that the Protocol requires the victim, or someone standing in loco parentis, to initiate the investigation. Should Mr. McGrath choose to do so, he could call me at the Diocesan Centre.
Regards,
Msgr Kevin Beach
Vicar General | Archdiocese of Ottawa
________________________________
18 March 2014
Your Grace
To say that I am disappointed in your response via Monsignor Beach is putting it mildly.
I was personally able to contact Mr. McGrath without any problem. His phone number is online. His mailing address can be easily obtained online.
Yours truly,
Sylvia MacEachern