Well, finally some light shed on the sex abuse trial of Father Linus Bastien.
For those not familiar with these charges, Father Bastien, a priest with the Diocese of London, Ontario, was charged October 2011. Further charges were laid until he was facing a total of 30 charges related to 12 male. There are 12 complainants.
In March of 2014, after a preliminary hearing, he was committed to stand trial on all 30 charges. The charges included those of gross indecency, indecent assault, sexual assault and invitation to sexual touching
The case has dragged on for over four years. He was ordered to stand trial two full years ago! A trial date was set for earlier this year. That date came and went with word that Bastien was trying to call it all off with the claim that he never should have been charged in the first place. On the heels of losing that application, along came some sort of challenge regarding his fitness to stand trial.
Need I say that this is extremely hard on the complainants? More than four years waiting to get to trial?!
A fitness hearing has been set for 24 -26May 2016. The actual trial has now been scheduled to run 24-28 October, 07-12 November and 14-16 December 2016. I think it is fair to assume that the outcome of the fitness hearing will dictate whether or not there is a trial.
I don’t know any details regarding the fitness hearing – am hoping those of you in the Windsor area will be able to get to court to find out what exactly his arguments are regarding his fitness. Mark your calendars!
There is, however, information regarding this business about his contention that the charges never should have been laid.
Here’s the judge’s ruling on “the application to quash” :
19 February 2016: R. v Bastien, 2016 ONSC 1166 (CanLII) (Ruling on Application to Quash Committals)
I’ll let you read it through. Much of it is quite legal 🙁 – but it’s always good to know the arguments and the lengths some of these clergy go to to avoid trial. And, yes, of course, , the good news is that the application was dismissed. It didn’t work.
You might want to scroll down to # 48 for a brief summary of the allegations .
And, this, in a para preceding, caught my eye:
…the complainant C.B. testified that he was asked by his teacher to take something to Father Bastien at the church. When the task took 25 minutes, the teacher was upset and ordered him to the principal. C.B. told the teacher it was because the applicant was kissing him. When the teacher was incredulous approximately 10 students in the class started to chant “Father kiss me” … “Father hump me” … “Father pervert”.
Do you get the same impression from the above quote as I ? Disturbing.
On a closing note, on 25 February 2016, after news that Bastien was launching this fitness to stand trial battle, Empty Handed Victim blogged in part: “My soul has been put through the ringer in this circus show…..Good luck to remaining victims, I am depleted.”
Please pray for all these men. They need our prayers and support. The legal shenanigans by the Bastien team to avoid going to trial is unconscionable.
I repeat a portion of my comment from the 25th:
And perhaps a call to the bishop’s office is in order? or an email? I don’t know if the claim is that Father Linus Bastien is paying his lawyer out of his own pocket (or legal aid), or if it’s the diocese footing the bill. No matter – there is nothing preventing the bishop from hauling him in by the scruff of the neck and insisting he stop this dancing around on the backs of the ‘complainants’ and get on with the trial. And, if the diocese is footing the bill, then the bishop needs to haul both Bastien and his lawyer in by the scruff of the neck and say “Enough”
Bishop Fabbro contact info:
Phone: 519-433-0658 Ext. 224
Email: bishop@dol.ca
Enough for now,
Sylvia
PS. A message for tomorrow, Sunday. Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers. Have a wonderful day.