I have fixed up the Father Eric Dejaeger page – hopefully it will now be be easier to navigate to find information.
There are a number of articles posted regarding the events at trial today. As you will see, in many cases the articles are the Canadian Press coverage which has been picked up in while or in part:
18 November 2013: Witness says Inuit girls came up with their own plan to stop attacks by priest
18 November 2013: “Witness says Inuit girls came up with their own plan to stop attacks by priest” & related articles
18 November 2013: “Northern priest pleads guilty to some sex charges involving Inuit children” & related articles
18 November 2013: “Northern priest Eric Dejaeger pleads guilty to some sex charges” & related articles
18 November 2013: As Dejaeger trial starts in Nunavut, Belgian media keep a close watch
It seems that the trial is now scheduled to run six weeks rather than five. That puts the last week into Christmas week. Will they carry on up top Christmas Day and resume on the 27th? or will that last week be put over to January? I don’t know, but I’m sure lawyers et al will not want to be flying around Nunavut and beyond the day before Christmas to be home for Christmas. Nor will the witnesses. In the North it’s a little dicey in the winter to leave flying home for Christmas to Christmas Eve. Bad weather puts the end to flight plans very quickly.
So, I don’t know when those other days will be added. It’s hard to find out now with everyone busy with the trial, but, I will try to find out.
And schedule aside, the coverage gives a chilling account of the day’s testimony.
I am haunted by this sentence:
Witnesses leaving court after their testimony could be heard in the room outside howling wordlessly in grief and pain.
I feel I am there. I can hear the anguish. All the way down here in Ontario, I can hear the anguish of those poor souls.
Keep all the complainants in your prayers. You now have a good idea of the need for prayers. Please keep them all in your prayers.
I have other thoughts running through my mind. I will wait ’till tomorrow.
*****
There is another article posted on the new charges against twice-convicted convicted molester Father Charles Picot. The original is French – I posted with the google translate and the original text attached:
18 November 2013: Bathurst: new charges of a sexual nature against the priest Picot (and original French text)
According to this google translation, Father Picot was not in court because “the forces of Bathurst had not had time to return the summons to the 67 year old former priest who still lives in the Montreal area.”
Is there any clarification required in the translation? Is that how it reads? It sounds a little strange so I’m thinking there is maybe a little tweaking needed in the translation. Can anyone help?
*****
I just checked the weather. There is a blizzard warning for Iqaluit. The brunt of the blizzard is forecast to hit tomorrow morning.
If the storm does hit as forecast there may be no court tomorrow.
Stay safe and warm up there everyone
Enough for now,
Sylvia