CBC Live Blog of Father Yvon Arsenault sentencing

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Gabrielle Fahmy

✔ @GabrielleFahmy

Hearing is over.

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Judge says he has no hesitation lifting publication ban for this one victim.

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Defence does not object.

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Crown addressing judge. Says one victim wants publication ban on his identity lifted because he wants to speak out about what happened.

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Justice Dionne done speaking.

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Arsenault covers his face with his hand as judge reads sentence.

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Conditions: Arsenault will be on sex offender registry for 20 yrs. Will have to go through blood tests. Not allowed to have firearms x10 yrs

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So Arsenault will start serving his four years today.

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Considering all this says judge, the 4 year recommendation is reasonable, and the court accepts it.

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Considering all these factors, that Arsenault has no criminal history, that he pleaded guilty, avoided trial that could revictimize victims

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Judge says court cannot treat joint recommendations lightly, as long as they are not considered unreasonable.

Judge says law sets maximum sentence at 10 years here, but there is no minimum.

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But also important to make sure person can reinsert society. Dionne says example of balance he was talking about.

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Justice Dionne now reading from criminal code. Main objective of sentence is to protect society – by denouncing crime, dissuading others…

1:52 PM – 24 Feb 2017

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“It’s an exercise in balance the court has to do,” says judge.

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Says judge has to act within code of law and jurisprudence only.

“When court has to impose a sentence, it’s not necessarily based on intuition, or personal preference of judge”

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Dionne now speaking again. Says Arsenault has no criminal record, has expressed remorse.

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Arsenault has arms crossed, listening attentively to judge Zoel Dionne.

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“It’s noted,” says judge. Man sits back down.

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The joint recommendation from Crown and defence was 4 years.

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He wants the maximum allowed sentence to be applied. That’s 10 years according to criminal code.

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No objections. Man walks up to podium.

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Asks if anyone objects to hearing this.

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Judge says one of victims wants to make a recommendation to the court.

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“I never said anything to anyone, until 2010” – another wrote. In 2010 his daughter victim of sexual abuse too, and that’s when told secret

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“I thought being a victim of molestation would make me a molester too” – another man says he was never able to be loving father, uncle

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That man says he lived with the secret 42 years. Couldn’t have sexual relations with a woman because of the shame he felt.

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Reads what yet another victim wrote.

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“In that moment, in my soul, I knew this wasn’t right.I felt uncomfortable but I trusted him. Because he was a priest, respected in Shediac”

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Victim speaks of all his broken dreams, failed accomplishment. Wanted to be pharmacist, was playing competitive hockey when abuse happened.

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Victim speaks of all his broken dreams, failed accomplishment. Wanted to be pharmacist, was playing professional hockey when abuse happened.

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“It’s like I woke up one day and look at my life and say – where the hell did my life go?” – another victim had written.

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Judge says the only positive thing is that so many years later, these men had the courage to speak out and denounce what happened.

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“I started drinking when I was 12 and dropped out of school in grade 6, because of the abuse,” – read what another victim wrote.

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He says people end up questioning themselves, tormented.

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He says people ending questioning themselves, tormented.

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“In these kinds of crimes, this happens a lot,” – talks about victims feeling guilt, shame. Says it’s the same in sexual assault cases.

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“I did not choose this but I will have to life with this, pain, shame and anxiety all my life,” he continues reading.

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“I had to see a psychiatrist for depression and suicidal attempts.” judge read from another victim’s letter – this one did not address court

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I’m not here to promote religion, says judge, but these people wanted a life of faith, and because of incidents, it became something sour

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“Your touch made me question my faith, my religion and my relation with the Christian community,” he reads again from the victim’s statement

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“Unfortunately we associate crimes committed by priests to crime committed by the Church,” says the judge.

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“Your touch made me feel anxiety each time I entered a church” – judge re-reading parts of the second impact statement from this morning.

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Judge wants to speak on behalf of victims who didn’t address court. Even 2 who did, some parts of their statements need to be said again.

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Justice Zoel Dionne walks in courtroom. We will find out sentence soon.

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