He’s ‘free’

He’s a ‘free’ man.   Right this very moment, and after serving a mere eight months behind bars for importing child pornography, Bishop Raymond Lahey is a free man.

Lahey was sentenced to 15 months.  As of today, our disgraced bishop, who voluntarily went to jail prior to his sentencing,  had served eight months at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre.  However, with 2:1 credit for time served he has, according to the courts, served his time.  In fact, he served an extra month!

Lahey appeared in court in his usual court room attire:  the tweed jacket and beigy-khaki-coloured shirt open at the neck.  I personally could detect no outward sign of emotion as the judge read the sentence.  Lahey sat either with arms folded across his chest as he often did in court, or, equally as often, with his left elbow cupped in his right hand and chin resting in his left hand.  While his chin was cupped in hand he frequently brushed his chin and lips with his index finger.  I could read no emotion on his face, neither that of jubilation, nor sorrow, nor anger – nothing which in any way shape or from would betray his thoughts or feelings.

In rendering his decision Justice Kent Kirkland repeated Dr. Bradford’s assertions that (1)  Lahey is not a paedophile; (2) according to Bradford’s definition of the term, Lahey is not a hebophile; and (3) Lahey does not have an anti-social personality. Kirkland also noted that Lahey does not have any issues with substance abuse.

Lahey has been placed on probation for two years.  His probation  conditions include the following:

• he is to have no contact with anyone under 16 years-of-age – unless they are family members!
• there is a 20 year ban on attendance anywhere children under age 16 might gather, ie. swimming pools and schools;
• he is not to communicate with anyone under age 16 online;
• he is to report any change of address to his probation officer;
• he is to co-operate with any assessment or treatment programs arranged by his probation officer;
• he is to advise his probation officer if he plans to leave Canada for more than 48 hours;
• he is to provide a DNA sample for the data bank;
• his name will be on the national sex offender registry for 20 years
• there is a ten year weapons prohibition;
• he is not to use his computer to access child pornography;
• he will be subject to random searches of his personal and office computers

Catholics will be interested to know that, according to Mr. Edelson, Lahey presumably sent a letter to the Holy Father ‘nearly a year ago’ requesting laicization (defrocking).  To date there has been no response to that request from the Vatican.

In a media scrum following the sentencing we learned the following from Mr. Edelson:

• Lahey received “exactly the right sentence.”
• He is adamant that the judge rejected any suggestion that Lahey,  in checking himself into jail eight months ago, did not manipulate the system
• Lahey spent much of the past eight months in solitary.  He’s had virtually no contact with the outside world.  He’s lost about 30 pounds.  He did have a cell mate from time to time.   Conditions were pretty dismal.  He has a very serious skin condition now which he did not have prior to his incarceration.  According to Edelson these are reasons that there used to a 2:1 credit for time served. (2:1 credit is no longer available for inmates. )
• Lahey has taken responsibility for what he’s done and is “resigned to his fate.”  Edelson believes Lahey is pretty strong mentally and realizes what his life is going to be like
• The law office received scores of letters of support from parishioners and others in the East and from across Canada.  There were also many letters of support “from senior members of the Church.”
• Edelson doesn’t think Lahey has any concrete plans yet for his future yet.  Edelson has an idea what Lahey plans for the medium term but will not disclose them.  Asked if Lahey plans to return to Nova Scotia Edelson replied that he knows the answer but will not comment. (At the sentencing hearing Edelson indicated that Lahey was planning to pursue further studies)
• Edelson wanted Lahey to make his statement/apology  before the judge deliberated on the sentence because he, Edelson,  felt it was a heartfelt statement in which Lahey took repsonsibility for what he did and was very credible.  Edelson, in fact,  believes that Lahey “is a very credible individual.”
• According to Edelson Lahey will be living as a social pariah and has become the poster man for general deterrence.  Edlson beleives that not many get the kind of media attention Lahey got.
• Edelson does not believe that Lahey is now “free”:  “He’s not totally free – he has a lot of conditions in the community that he has to comply with and if he breaches any of those he’ll be arrested again.”
• There is a maximum ten year sentence for child porn.  Lahey got 15 months.  According to Edelson the maximum sentence would be incurred by people who actually make the child porn, and are abusing the children, and touching the children.
• Edelson would not comment on the status of Lahey’s ten-year-homosexual- relationship

A few other observations:

• The Crown, who had asked for an 18 to 22 month sentence, was happy with the sentence.  He viewed it as a harsh sentence.
• There was a minor outburst in the courtroom after sentencing was passed.   Roger Touchette, a victim from the Alfred sex abuse scandal- yelled out:  “He’s not a paedophile, he’s a demon.”
• Courtroom #2 was packed to the gills. At one point I counted 34.  As with the sentencing hearing, the large majority of those present were media (There were other members of the media outside the courthouse).
• There was one female friend of Lahey’s in the courtroom.  She was there for the two days of the sentencing hearing before Christmasas well.  I don’t know the relationship between the two, and she did not want to divulge it to me, but we chatted off and on and always sat side by side.  I truly did not want to push this poor soul for further information.  While she was sympathetic to Lahey I think the whole ordeal was very difficult for her.  I believe she was the only person in court supporting Lahey.   I was very aware that when  Lahey looked out into the crowd he was trying to catch her eye – and then an ever-so-brief nod was exchanged between the two.  I do have her name and phone number.  Perhaps some day in the future I will contact her?  For now, I prefer not to print her name.  I don’t think anything is to be gained.

And, for now, that’s it.  I left the courthouse this afternoon feeling that I am living in a different world.  That anyone would rejoice over a 15 month sentence for possession of child pornography is beyond me, all the more so when that 15 months has legally been whittled down to eight.

I will check and start to post the media coverage

Enough for now,

Sylvia