Troubling

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I received a link to the first of the following articles yesterday. That set me hunting up information on the Father Ronald Bromley saga which which I had not yet posted.because I wanted to spend some time trying to sort it all out!

So, I have now filled in a lot of the information, but I still have a series of news clippings which really must be scanned and posted to round out the picture .  I will get at that as soon as I finish this blog.

So, for now, here is the first of those two articles.  This text or something similar ran in a number of newspapers:  

03 February 2011: N.L. not legally responsible for alleged sex abuse by priest

Then look at this, the second of the two I posted:

02 February 2011:  Off the hook 

That article gives an idea of the Father Ron Bromley sex abuse saga.   As I undersatand it, from a criminal perspective, here’s how it went…

It started with a 1994 RCMP investigation of allegations of abuse at the Whitbourne Boy’s School in Newfoundland.  It moved on to Father Ronald Bromley being charged in, I believe, 1997 1996  And then on to Bromley heading for trial on 31 sex related charges filed by 9 accusers.  Both the accusers and charges were whittled down – what was left was 11 charges and 4 accusers.  Convicted.  An appeal.  The appeal court ordered a re-trial.  On to another trial on the whittled-down complement of 11 charges and four accusers.  A guilty on one count of gross indecency.  Off to the court of appeal again.   Finally, in 2004, the sole conviction of those initial 33 charges was overturned.

My gut feel from what I have read, heard and know to date is that Bromley got off.  It cost a bundle, but, I think he got off. 

As for the lawsuit, if you scroll down the Bromley page you will see a 1997 article re a Newfoundland Supreme Court ruling that 22 civil suits launched by former residents of Whitbourne Boy’s Home could not be tried together.  None of the plaintiffs were part of the criminal porceedings.  Bromley was apparently named in a many of those suits.  I believe Louis Rich’s suit is one of  those actions.

Note that the plaintiff, Louis Rich, a member of the Innu First Nation from Sheshatshiu Labrador, also alleges sexual abuse by Oblate priest Father Leonard Paradis omi. Paradis is on the list of Accused  He was convicted.  Some years later he was assisting at Masses at St. Joseph’s in Ottawa.   At some point I will add further info on Paradis 🙂

I will scan those Bromley news clipping now.  Once I have them posted I will make note that they are up.

This Bromley saga troubles me.  Are we truly to believe that ALL those men are liars?  ALL of them?

Anyway, I will get to the scanning.  A number of these articles have coverage of the sex abuse trials.  Let’s see what they have to say. 

By the way,  if any of you people in Newfoundland can set me straight here or add further info it would be much appreciated 🙂

Enough for now,

Sylvia

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