Xtra! Canada’s Gay & Lesbian News
A former military chaplain arrested on seven charges, including buggery, saw all charges dropped by the Crown in a Barrie court last week.
Roger Bazin, 74, of Manitoba, was arrested in Barrie in February 2010 and charged with buggery, gross indecency and indecent assault on a teenager. The arrest followed a June 2009 complaint, causing the military to investigate incidents dating back to 1972, when Bazin was based at CFB Borden, just outside Barrie.
Crown Michael Minns withdrew the charges because “there did not exist a reasonable prospect of conviction.”
Gay people followed the case because of the buggery charge. Buggery is no longer illegal in Canada, but since sexual assault has no statute of limitation, Bazin was charged for having anal sex, even though it is no longer considered a crime in Canada.
Canada inherited its buggery law — which covers both anal sex and bestiality — from Britain. In 1969, the law was relaxed to exclude consensual sex if both partners were over the age of 21. In 1988, the buggery law was scrapped altogether and replaced with a prohibition on anal sex for people under the age of 18. That law has been struck down in several jurisdictions, including Ontario, because it sets a different age of consent for gay sex, 18, than straight sex, 16.
Queer Ontario member Richard Hudler says he feels cases like these are chilling for gay Canadian seniors. The 68-year-old gay man feels the government has no business using outdated charges.
“It’s good to hear the charges were dropped. But I was actively gay before the law was changed. So that means [the government] could go back and charge me for anything. If they went back before 1969, any gay activity was illegal. If they decided they want to get you on something, they can use something like [buggery],” says Hudler.
Bishop Donald Thériault, head of the Roman Catholic Military Diocese of Canada, says he is pleased with this case because “it removes the suspicion of one of our priests who had a wonderful career.”
“We have to presume justice was done. In all fairness for the alleged victim, I don’t know him, but I wish him well. Roger is very happy with the outcome and wants to pursue his life as a retiree,” says Thériault.
Thériault says there is a fear among Cathoic priests of being falsely accused of sex crimes. In the last year, he has spoken with Bazin; he noted that the former priest went through a difficult time but says he will move on with his life.
“I think when a priest is found innocent, I think he has the inner resources and personal satisfaction to put the weight on his ministry, rely on God and move on and help people. Roger has been a dedicated man even in retirement. I hope he will continue to be a happy man and in good health. But those sorts of situations are always a black eye, tarnishing the church and clergy.”
“For the media, stories like these go up their alley of sensationalism. Because priests are supposed to be celibate, there’s an appreciation of a priest as a trusted person, and there are always questions in people’s minds. People tend to point at priests involved in illicit or inappropriate behaviour. That’s really not the case. Statistics show we have way fewer incidents than other social professions. But the damage has already been done when priests are found innocent or have their charges dropped. It’s a hard thing to deal with in the church, but if we lose confidence, it makes it hard for us to serve people,” says Thériault.
Thériault would not comment on the state of Bazin’s personal health, saying only that there is nothing significant going on in his life at the moment.
“We don’t intend to make any statement. It was a civilian case,” says military spokesperson Marie Tremblay.
Xtra was unable to reach Bazin’s lawyer, Sheldon Pinx.
Bazin lives in Manitoba with his 79-year-old sister. Over the last year, he had several Barrie court appearances. He was present in court only once and was quietly whisked away after his appearance.
Bazin was ordained in 1962 and later became a chaplain with the Canadian Armed Forces. He eventually rose to the rank of chaplain-general and later, brigadier-general and eventually, chief military chaplain in 1992. He retired in 1995.
In 2005, Bazin was accused by a Thunder Bay family of engaging in “inappropriate activity” with a 16-year-old boy. At the time, Bazin was working in a Thunder Bay Catholic church. Criminal charges were never filed, but church officials later confirmed that Bazin had settled privately with the family and paid them $24,000.
This is ridiculous. There is quite a difference between charging a Roman Catholic priest for seducing and sodomizing a boy and charging a man for engaging in sodomy with a consenting adult.
” I think when a priest is found innocent,” said Bishop Donald Theriault.
No, sorry Bishop Theriault, Msgr. Bzin was was not found innocent. He was not delcared “innocent.” The charges were dropped because the Crown decided “there did not exist a reasonable prospect of conviction.” That does not by any stretch of the imagination mean that Roger Bazin did not sodomize/bugger that boy.
Therialult also is quoted as saying that this “removes the suspicion of one of our priests who had a wonderful career.”
?? How? How does this remove “the suspicion”? This priest with a wonderful career paid off a victim in a hush hush out of court settlement. That pay-off came to light only after these charges were laid. So how, pray tell, does dropping the charges in this case and under these circumstances remove suspicion? –
Therialut apparently also talked of a fear among priests of being falsely accused.
Read the article through. I’d say the Bishop’s overall message is that Bazin was falsely accused and ergo the plaintiff is an outright liar.
This is disgusting.
Ultimately everything comes down to money! No one would have sued the church if there was no money involved! Most of this so called victims had a good time with their so called abusers . Who knows some of these victims themselves were seducers of innocent priests to get some money at that time and later????. As long as these so called victims asks for money, their stories are cooked up. May not be tru even!!?? That is why no one cares about this money crazy so called victims. Good bye and good luck
You are one brick short of a load, sir. If you knew what it took for a victim to come forward you would realize how wrong you are…
This is one more case of military personnel getting off with queer offences. This should assuage some of the gay community- they wish to bring down the Catholic Church, and this gives them a modicum of success-again!
Satan works his evil where he can. And many are willing to co-operate ! Tim
If I didn’t know that the assertions and propositions articulated above were those of bishop Donald Thériault , I would guess – with very little doubt-that they were the rantings of one or both of a certain pair who routineley and persistantly on this site spew precisley the same.
Poor little Larry! Tim
Well said, Mr Green!!
When I initially arrived at this site I very stupidly and very regretably made some offensive comments of my own that were thoughtless, inconsiderate and disrespectfull. I’m sincerely sorry for any pain I have caused 1yellowknife.
Forgotten already. Keep up the good work.
Boy oh Boy if flies could talk…
Not so fast …Dropped but not forgotten reason’s untold, this does not mean he did not do anything, Altar boys of that age are now in there mid 50′s , health issues happen ,family illness. Lets face it do you try to stay alive or do you just dye pursuing it .. or do you kill your old army Father{ who loved the Military} in his late 70′s with guilt or shame, he was always gone some times for 1 year at a time, with 4 kids at home and a wife trying to keep it together, sending her son’s to church to have a male figure in there life……..
Sister of a survivor CFB Borden
It’s good Charlene that he has a sister like you who cares, understands and supports him