ici Radio Canada Ottawa-Gatineau
Published on Thursday 16 February 2017 at 14:58 | Updated on February 16, 2017 at 9:29 pm
Retired Ottawa priest Jacques Faucher faced charges of gross indecency and indecent assault on a minor. Photo: Radio-Canada
He was convicted of six of the fourteen charges against him, and Father Jacques Faucher of Ottawa is serving a 12-month sentence of house arrest for crimes of a sexual nature.
The 80-year-old man was awaiting his sentence since March 2016, when the judge rendered his guilty verdict on several charges of gross indecency and indecent assault. He also receives 18 months of probation.
Judge Pierre Roger referred to a psychiatric report revealing that the ex-priest no longer had any sexual urges. In his decision on Thursday, it states that “this report indicates that today Mr. Faucher is not sexually active, that he has been suffering from sexual dysfunction for two or three years, that he has lost interest in Sexuality and that he has no impulses “.
One of the three victims did not hide his disappointment with the sentence.
The victims were choir children altar boys
The alleged grievances occurred from 1969 to 1974. The three victims, now in their fifties, were 9, 10 and 11 years old. The three boys were choir boys altar boys of the former parish of Notre-Dame-des-Anges in Ottawa.
During his trial, it was revealed that the man was attracting the victims to his home under the pretext of watching a hockey game, watching a collection of stamps or praying. The accused sat the children on his knees and flattered their backs. He then had an erection and ejaculated in his pants, according to testimonies.
“We’ve been keeping it for 40 years. We needed to see him in prison, even a little something, three months, to comfort us a little. But to put him at home, warm, with a warm bath to listen to music, no, it will discourage the other victims, “added the victim, who can not be named because of a prohibition of publication.
Jacques Faucher was arrested in February 2013 in Gatineau. He was then released conditionally.
The ex-priest has served in various parishes in Ottawa and has also taught at the Ottawa Major Seminary. He has also been a professor of religious education in many secondary schools. Recognized for his community involvement, Jacques Faucher worked with the Catholic Immigration Center, Centraide Ottawa and Club Richelieu.
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Assignation à domicile pour l’ex-prêtre Jacques Faucher
ici Radio Canada Ottawa-Gatineau
Le prêtre à la retraite d’Ottawa Jacques Faucher faisait face à des accusations de grossière indécence et d’attentat à la pudeur sur un mineur. Photo : Radio-Canada
Judge Roger’s inclusion of Father Faucher’s loss of sexual appetite as a mitigating factor in his sentencing is warped thinking at best!
Obviously Father Faucher’s sexual appetite was quite active when he committed these crimes.
Does this mean that a person who committed murder back in, say 1980, charged for the crime in 2017, should get off lightly because he/she no longer has homicidal ideations, is old and infirm and is “no longer a threat” to society?
Like JoeB said in a previous post (different thread) I feel acute nausea over the knowledge that this person is still a Roman Catholic priest, and still holding the power and authority originally given him by his bishop.
Judge Roger must really re-examine his judicial morals. Mike.
if someone is desperate for money and robs a bank, then while out of jail waiting for his court case to come up, he wins the lottery. Do you then give him house arrest because he is no longer a threat to banks? … very good point Mike.
Doesn’t matter how long you’ve got away without proper justice served. Once trialled, convicted and found guilty time shall be serve for the crime permitted as if the crime was just performed. What is this telling criminals ? That if they perform a crime and then hide out for a while they will get off . Our country is getting so soft it’s rediculous . Pretty soon we’all be paying 20% taxes , 60 Dollars for 24 beer, 2 Dollars a litre for fuel and Ect. Our country is a prime example of modern day Monopoly at its finest in a non communist country . Wake up Canada.
Sadly many Canadian citizens and politicians believe in a lenient or non-existent penal law. This appears to be liberal / bloc and NDP way. Nothing will change with these politicians in power.
The government led by Prime Minister Harper had nearly 10 years to change laws.
Sorry ……. but one of many news references:
“The previous Conservative government brought in mandatory sentences for 60 different crimes, including those involving guns, drugs and sexual exploitation. Liberals are currently reviewing those sentences as part of the government’s criminal justice reforms.”
Huffington Post – Fall 2016
Father Faucher was charged for offenses which occurred between 1969 and 1974. Accordingly, criminal procedure during those years applied as soon as he was being processed. Father Faucher was prosecuted as per the legislations, regulations, caselaw and legal doctrine which applied during those years. He also benefited, unlike persons charged at that time for similar offenses, of the rights and protections guaranteed to him by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms of 1982, it`s doctrine and it`s caselaw. Unfortunately for Father Faucher`s victims clerical sexual abuse and child sexual abuse was not a high priority between 1969 and 1974 and the sentences for such offences were lenient compared to current sentencing legislation, caselaw, and regulations.
There is also a good chance that the information concerning Father Faucher would not have been investigated by law enforcement of the 1969-1974 era and the reasonable perspective of a conviction against Father Faucher would have been so unlikely that his crimes would have not been prosecuted. That he was investigated, charged, prosecuted and convicted is due 1) to the courage of his victims and 2) to the fact that there are no statutes of limitations in criminal procedure in Canada 3)to the fact that Canadian taxpayers are willing to spend a very serious chunk of change to convict perverts like Father Faucher. Current political considerations have nothing to do with Father Faucher`s sentence. The only political constituency which not only advocated – but also legislated – the non prosecution of Catholic clerical abuse is the Church itself in Vatican City with Crimen sollicitationis in 1962.
The Criminal Code in effect at the time the offences were committed would have seen him in jail and, for the crime of indecent assault on a male,in jail and whipped:
(Section 156): Every male person who indecently assaults another person with intent to commit buggery or who indecently assaults another male person is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for ten years and to be whipped. 1953-54, c. 51, s. 148.
(Section 157): Every one who commits an act of gross indecency with another person is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for five years. 1953-54, c. 51, s. 149. .
I agree that that the fact that Father Faucher was charged and so on is thanks to the courage of his victims, and, I am frequently thankful that we do not have a statute of limitations in Canada. I do not however rejoice in the failure of our politicians and judiciary to ensure that child molesters are put behind bars for a good long time – the tolerance is almost as abhorrent as the crime.
As for the Vatican cleaning up its act. – yes indeed. Defrock them. Turn them over to police.
It is of little merit however if the Church – or any other institution for than matter – turns these predators over to the courts only to see them ‘walk’, or hunker in for cosy little year of “house arrest”. And one must wonder why in most, if not all provinces in Canada, the duty to report suspect child sexual abuse is to Children’s Aid Societies (or its equivalent) and NOT police, and why in most if not all provinces there is no duty to report to CAS if the “alleged” molester is very much alive with unfettered access to children because the allegations is deemed “historical.”
There is a lot of fixing up to do, both in and out of the Church.
Sylvia – couldn’t agree more! Of interesting note, I was watching the news this morning and found that a convict in Edmonton has been released, and will be living on his own in a residential area.
The Edmonton Police Service is warning residents of the city to be watchful of this man!
Obviously the Police Service feel this man WILL re-offend. Why then was he released?
There is more than just some fixing up to be done – we need a complete re-vamp of our judiciary. Mike.
Good for the Edmonton Police for giving a warning. Many police forces will not – claims that perp. has served his time and is entitled to his privacy! These predators invariably have more rights than their victims and more than all children who may potentially become his victims, and more than all parents who strive to protect their children. Unfortunately this dysfunctional attitude prevails both in and out of the church.
We just had a bus driver murdered here in Winnipeg last week……… the next day news breaks that this bus driver was accused of a historic sexual assault.(Skipped court in October, had a warrant issued… trial was rescheduled) Yesterday Winnipeg Transit held a memorial with all buses in the city stopping at 1pm for a moment of silence. All day all buses had rest in peace #521(driver number) flashing on their displays! Rapists get celebrated and victims get forgotten.
Thanks Joe. I looked up the case. Another mess. Here, for the benefit of those who may be interested, is an article from the 16 February Winnipeg Free Press: