The Windsor Star
12 January 2012
BY BEATRICE FANTONI
Ex-priest Rev. Linus Bastien, 85, faces two counts of indecent assault and two counts of gross indecency.
Photograph by: Jason Kryk, Windsor Star files
LaSalle police have laid 18 new charges against a former Catholic priest who was charged with indecent assault last autumn.
Rev. Linus Bastien, who served as a priest in Essex County, was arrested on Jan. 11 and charged with indecent assault, gross indecency, sexual assault and sexual interference following complaints from seven victims.
The events date to 1970-1977 and 1988-1989 when Bastien was serving at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in LaSalle and St. Joachim Parish in Lakeshore.
The alleged victims were students at the former St. Paul’s school and St. Ambroise school.
Bastien, 85, has been released on a promise to appear in court on Feb. 14 in Windsor.
Four previous charges against Bastien will be spoken to in court today.
The four previous charges were laid this autumn after two former altar boys from St. Mary’s Parish in Maidstone filed complaints with police.
Bastien’s last posting before retiring was as chaplain at Grace Hospital. He served as a priest in Windsor and the surrounding region from 1951 until he retired in 1997.
The diocese of London declined to comment on the latest set of charges and referred The Star to a statement released in October 2011 after the first set of allegations surfaced.
“The Diocese is saddened by the news,” the statement said. “The Diocese of London takes any allegation very seriously and co-operates fully with the authorities investigating them.”
With files from Sarah Sacheli
bfantoni@windsorstar.com or Twitter.com/bfantoni
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Retired priest faces 18 additional sex charges
The Vancouver Sun
12 January 2012
BY BEATRICE FANTONI, POSTMEDIA NEWS
WINDSOR, Ont. — Police have laid 18 new charges against a former Ontario Roman Catholic priest who was charged with indecent assault last autumn.
Rev. Linus Bastien, who served as a priest in Essex County, was arrested on Jan. 11 and charged with indecent assault, gross indecency, sexual assault and sexual interference following complaints from seven victims.
The events date to 1970-77 and 1988-89 when Bastien was serving at St. Paul’s Catholic Church and St. Joachim Parish in the Windsor bedroom communities of LaSalle and Lakeshore.
The alleged victims were students at the former St. Paul’s school and St. Ambroise school.
Bastien, 85, has been released on a promise to appear in court on Feb. 14 in Windsor.
Four previous charges against Bastien will be spoken to in court Thursday.
The four previous charges were laid this autumn after two former altar boys from St. Mary’s Parish in Maidstone filed complaints with police.
Bastien’s last posting before retiring was as chaplain at Grace Hospital. He served as a priest in Windsor and the surrounding region from 1951 until he retired in 1997.
The Diocese of London declined to comment on the latest set of charges and referred to a statement released in October 2011 after the first set of allegations surfaced.
“The Diocese is saddened by the news,” the statement said. “The Diocese of London takes any allegation very seriously and co-operates fully with the authorities investigating them.”
bfantoni@windsorstar.com
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Retired priest faces 18 additional sex charges
canada.com
Published: Thursday, January 12, 2012
Beatrice Fantoni, Postmedia News
WINDSOR, Ont. – Police have laid 18 new charges against a former Ontario Roman Catholic priest who was charged with indecent assault last autumn.
Rev. Linus Bastien, who served as a priest in Essex County, was arrested on Jan. 11 and charged with indecent assault, gross indecency, sexual assault and sexual interference following complaints from seven victims.
The events date to 1970-77 and 1988-89 when Bastien was serving at St. Paul’s Catholic Church and St. Joachim Parish in the Windsor bedroom communities of LaSalle and Lakeshore.
The alleged victims were students at the former St. Paul’s school and St. Ambroise school.
Bastien, 85, has been released on a promise to appear in court on Feb. 14 in Windsor.
Four previous charges against Bastien will be spoken to in court Thursday.
The four previous charges were laid this autumn after two former altar boys from St. Mary’s Parish in Maidstone filed complaints with police.
Bastien’s last posting before retiring was as chaplain at Grace Hospital. He served as a priest in Windsor and the surrounding region from 1951 until he retired in 1997.
The Diocese of London declined to comment on the latest set of charges and referred to a statement released in October 2011 after the first set of allegations surfaced.
“The Diocese is saddened by the news,” the statement said. “The Diocese of London takes any allegation very seriously and co-operates fully with the authorities investigating them.”
bfantoni@windsorstar.com
Twitter.com/bfantoni