Sudbury Star
22 October 2010
By CAROL MULLIGAN THE SUDBURY STAR
A Sudbury man has achieved some measure of peace knowing complaints he filed against a Roman Catholic priest in Sudbury a dozen years ago have resulted in charges.
Rev. William Marshall, 88, was charged Oct. 13 with six counts of gross indecency and six counts of indecent assault relating to sexual abuse alleged to have occurred when he was teaching in Sudbury from 1960 to 1970.
Ted Holland, 55, first complained in 1998 about being abused by Marshall, who taught and was principal at St. Charles College, which used to be an all-boys school.
Marshall was charged earlier this year with similar complaints in Windsor and Toronto. On Thursday, he was charged with three more abuse counts in Toronto. It’s unknown if the new Toronto complainants are former St. Mike’s students, the Toronto Star reported.
His lawyer told the paper charges from all three cities will be transferred to Windsor to be dealt with in an efficient manner before one judge and one Crown prosecutor.
Marshall, who taught math and coached basketball, is at the centre of a growing sexual abuse scandal that involves 16 complainants from three Ontario cities spanning a period from the early 1950s to the 1980s, the Toronto newspaper said.
He is accused of abusing 12 other minors while assigned to schools in Windsor and Sudbury.
None of the charges has been proven in court.
Holland said earlier this week he was discouraged it took so long for his initial complaints about the retired priest to result in charges.
Greater Sudbury Police Insp. Sheilah Weber has been involved in several investigations into complaints of sexual misconduct, both recent and historic. While she could not comment on any specific case, Weber said there is a difference in the way the two types of sexual abuse cases are handled.
When the charges date back decades, it’s more difficult to investigate, she said, and it can take years to result in charges.
Holland said earlier this week Greater Sudbury Police did not contact him to tell him his original complaint against Marshall was included in the charges the service laid last week.
The service is maintaining that Holland was contacted by phone, but he said he did not receive a message.
Weber said an effort is made to speak with complainants when charges are laid by police, but it is not always possible.
Now Holland is trying to find out what happened since Greater Sudbury Police announced last week a warrant was being issued for Marshall’s arrest on the Sudbury charges.
After a police service lays charges, it is up to the Crown attorney’s office and the defence to decide how an accused will be processed.
Weber said Thursday she did not know if Marshall, who lives in Toronto, had been booked at a police station in the Greater Toronto Area.
Holland is a teacher with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, but he is currently on leave.
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Comments on this Article.
Why does it take police and the justice system so long to ever listen to complaints against prominent and well respected people?
Post #1 By Bill93,
What the heck is going on?