The following statement was prepared and read by Jerry Boyle at the 08 December 2011 press conference announcing the launch of his lawsuit against William Hodgson Marshall, the Basilian Fathers of Toronot, the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, the Roman Catholic Episcopal corporation of the Diocese of London, and Bishop Ronald Peter Fabbro
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Unless you have been a victim of sexual abuse, you can never imagine the long term effects. I have been haunted for more than half a century by memories of the terror I experienced.
I am here today for justice. I have had my life changed by a protected villain that should have been removed from society before I was ever exposed to his evil desires. They relocated him to Windsor after Marshall assaulted students at St. Mikes in Toronto. Two of them were here in Windsor for Marshall’s trial and conviction on June 8th of this year.
He violated my innocence when I had just turned fourteen. I was immature and small for my age. That is what Marshall was after. My life has never been the same nor have I seen the potential I could have attained.
The real problem is with the Church, the Priests, the School Board and Marshall’s co-workers, that knew what he was up to and did absolutely nothing about it. Their only action was to protect him and move him out of the areas of his crimes into new surroundings where he could find new victims for his perversions. (He will continue to receive their protection when his two year sentence will be cut short sometime early in 2012.)
They knew what he was doing. They saw him in the act of assaulting me. Others were told what was going on. They did nothing!!
I looked for help and it was denied. There were at least four other priests that witnessed his assaults on me and would not help. They saw him sexually assaulting me in the Shower after basketball practise, on two occasions where priest would walk into classrooms where Marshall would take me and in his private room where many of the assaults took place and his roommate walked in and interrupted one of the attacks. The one priest I went to in my home parish for assistance blamed me for the assaults. I approached him in the confessional where I felt I had some protection with the screen that separated us. I described to him the best way I could that I was being sexually abused by a Catholic priest in my school. Before I could even tell him the name he screamed at me saying that “whatever happened was my fault and to quit doing it.”I ran from the confessional….never to return to that sacrament and the forgiveness it claimed to offer.
Had Marshall been taken out of the system the many victims that came after me would not have seen the attacks they experienced. Patrick would not be here today. His life would have been different more peaceful and fulfilled.
I endured two years of assaults and for the past fifty-six years have tried to bury the memories. It is time to make those responsible accountable.
“I looked for help and it was denied.”
The child had no where to turn.
Four priests witnessed the abuse. Four!!!!
And then the priest in confession who said the abuse was Jerry’s fault.
As a mother and a grand-mother I weep to think of any child being molested. As a Roman Catholic I weep to think that any Catholic priest would (1) lay a wayward hand on a child (2) turn a blind eye to the abuse of a child (3) view any clerical molester as fit to be a priest (4) cover-up for a clerical molester (5) drive a child away from the Sacraments.
No, I’m not literally crying, but I do weep somewhere deep down inside.
“I looked for help and it was denied.”
Jerry, thank you for sharing this so that we can all learn from your pain and do what we can to help others who cry out for help. By the grace of God some good will finally come from your many years of suffering.
*I was living near uxbridge when this abuse was taking place at st johns.we used to go and see the fireworks there.sexual abuse has always been there.i was abused when I was 6years old.i attended ash worth public school and on my way home a 21year old man grabbed me and forced himself on me.it was totally terrifying.it affects the rest of your life.i am 66 years old and if I think about that day I remember every detail.it was a time when no one talked about such things so I grew up thinking I was a terrible person.I have not shared this with too many people and am weeping telling this.life is hard sometimes.louise
It grieves me whenever I enter ths site. It really does. To hear your words, Louise, makes me sad and angry at the same time. To know you are weeping as you type the above saddens me but I do think it is a good thing for you to do. First, you weep because you are still suffering that emotion. But by writing what you wrote, that is a good sign, Louise. Sounds like you are ready to talk aboutthis tragedy. Look what Jerry has done publicly. It is not only part of his own healing but it has gotten this molestor priest in prison. It has also exposed the Church and its wrongdoings in so many ways!
Louise, I would seek assistance from a counsellor.
As for the Jerry Boyle impact statement, this angers me! To think there were 4 priests who witnessed or knew of the assaults. How in God’s name can they be priests? And is the Church still involved with Marshall in some way?
I feel I must say that I hope the lawsuit is successful and that the order is made to pay for its crime of neglect and hiding and abetting a criminal. This has happened just too many times.