Michel Bastarache letter to Jean Guy Theriault

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This is the text of a letter sent to Jean-Guy Theriault by Michel Bastarache.  It has been copied from it’s pdf format to enable readers to use the translate feature.  The formatting has been lost, as unfortunately have some of the accents, but the text is unchanged.

 _________________________________

 

PRIVILEGIEE ET CONFIDENTIELLE        Heenan Blaikie

PAR MESSAGER

 

Le 9 décembre 2010

 

Monsieur Jean-Guy Thériault

981, Louis G. Daigle

Tracadie-Sheila,NBE1X 1C2

 

Objet: Refus d’indemnisation, conciliation pour les victimes d’agressions sexuelles

du Diocese deBathurst, N.-B. – Eli Thériault

CherMonsieur Thériault,

Je voudrais en tout premier lieu vous remercier d’avoir participé au processus de conciliation. C’est la premiere fois au Canada, a ma connaissance, qu’un tel processus est mis sur pied et il  était important que bon nombre des victimes eligibles participent pour en assurer le succes. Je souhaite que d’autres puissent aussi profiter d’un processus rapide et sans confrontation dans d’autres endroits.

Cette lettre a maiheureusement pour objet de vous informer que je ne suis pas en mesure d’accepter votre demande d’indemnisation. Suite a une revision détaillée de la jurisprudence, je suis d’avis qu’il n’existe aucun recours en droit au Nouveau-

Brunswick qui permettrait aux families des victimes d’obtenir une compensation pour les abus commis lors de i’enfance de la victime notamment puisque les liens qui unissent les membres de la famille n’existaient pas au moment ou les sévices ont été perpetres par l’agresseur.

 

Les dommages-interets pour sevices sexuels sont essentiellement des dommages moraux, soit des dommages qui sont personnels a la victime. Par consequent, sachez que ie décès de votre père, la victime, est determinant et met fin a son recours en droit.

Je ne peux que souhaiter que vous et votre familie puissiez trouver un peu plus de paix et de sérénité a la fin de ce processus et vous offrir mes meilleurs voeux pour l’avenir.

Je vous prie d’accepter, Monsieur Thériault, i’expression de mes meiiieurs voeux.

 

 

Michel Bastarache, CC

Conciliateur

 

Heenan Blaikie SRI Avocars I Agents de brevets at de marques dv csclmercu

OttawaMantrdai Thrants Vancouver Québec Calgary Sherbroeke Trais-RiviOres Victoria/

 

Michel Bastarache

T613236.3488 ,

Fl 866411.2699

mbastarache@heenan.ca

 

55, rue Metcalfe

Bureau 300

Ottawa(Ontario) .

CanadaK1P 6L5

 

www.heenanbJaik.com

18 Responses to Michel Bastarache letter to Jean Guy Theriault

  1. Gerarda Theriault says:

    Quelle honte de parler de remerciement aux victimes pour assuer le succès du processus de conciliation.Certains dirigents de tout ce show aurait du consulter le dictionnaire des synonymes avant de parler de conciliateur pour les victimes.Assurer le succès de qui ,de quoi.Le succès d’une autre forme d’abus de la part du diocèse de Bathurst avec la bénédiction du juge Bastarache.QUELLE HONTE …Combien d’autres comme Jean-Guy ont dut recevoir des lettres semblables.

    • JG says:

      Gerarda,
      You were asking “How many others May Have received a similar letter?…”
      Without much of an investigative effort, mostly by just talking about it I have added at least ten (10) names to that of my Father…Of those seven(7) have passed away, two have remained silent so far and two more have taken action…More names could probably be added if the list from the diocese was revealed…and if the tombstones of the tormented were to speak! …if their families suddenly listened, believe and decided to speak out without fear of a Godly retribution or of bringing shame to their family! That should be ” the church’s” concern alone. The victims and their family will only feel God’s presence at their side. My deepest belief!

      We only see the tip of the iceberg and that in relation to a pedophile who passed away 29 years ago. Scary and revealing when we consider, as most of us do, where society has been heading. I truly believe they have had a major negative impact on the blemished morals we have witness in our time…

      Can’t ever pretend to give an accurate number of “Thank You for participating” letters which might have been sent.
      …and yes, the shame is all theirs!

      JG

  2. JG says:

    Bonjour Gerarda,

    Tu es surement une cousine de loin…puisque nous portons le même nom, et je te remercis .Tu semble comprendre parfaitement la situation. Les affronts se suivent et se ressemblent sans vouloir s’améliorer!

    Si tu veux être un peu plus indignée, considère que mr.le juge(absolument zéro respect de ma part!) et ses associés ont envoyés cette lettre a la mauvaise addresse pour étirer le temps jusqu’après le 9 Janvier 2010, 6 mois après le décès de mon Père, pour des raison légales a l’avantage du charmant diocèse.
    L’adresse ci-haut n’est pas la mienne…Je te le dis a toi parce que je le leur ai dit déjà,
    ils ont agit comme des crapules!!. Ils parlent de sincérité, de ”conciliation” en bons hypocrites puisqu’ils ont fait tout le contraire dans le cas de mon Pére.
    Finalement, la lettre m’est parvenu par courriel.
    Vois-tu quoi que ce soit de l’évêque vienneau…signature, excuse, ….
    Absolument RIEN.
    Pas trés professionnel de la part de ces supposés représentants de la loi et rien de presque chrétien de celui qui se dit représentant de Dieu. Juste un autre profiteur!
    Merci encore, ne te gêne pas non plus de les démasquer a chaque occasion possible.
    C’est la seule façon qu’il vont comprendre.
    JG

  3. JG says:

    …9 Janvier 2010, ci-haut, devrait lire:9 Janvier 2011…

    …and anyone using the ”translator”, mr. le juge, meaning judge bastarache, comes out as Mr. LEE…and there is of course no such Mr Lee!.. As for the rest of any translation, it gives an idea of content …

    I take this opportunity to thank Sylvia for this outlet…I don’t know that there exist anything similar in the french language, except for Lowell Mallais’s ”Innocentes Victimes d’abus …” I could be wrong but I think there is still a way to go before the discussion such as occurs here can begin in Quebec or in the rest of the french speaking population…We submitted to “the church” for so long it is difficult for many to criticize or even believe, if they are not victims themselves, that any of this is even real…Too disturbing for many to even consider, I think. More reason to continue and to never forget the children, past , present and future…
    JG

  4. Conrad Brideau says:

    Jean-Guy Thériault, j’ai beaucoup aimé ce partage, que tu as pu mettre en des mots. Beaucoup de gens (victimes) ne peuvent pas faire,ce bout de chemin, ce que tu as si bien exprimer dans des mots faciles à lire. J’ai bien hâte de te rencontrer chez Lowell Mallais. J’aimerais te parler et échanger avec toi. Tu es une personne très intéressante. Au plaisir de se voir et ne lâche pas, car nous ne sommes plus seuls et isolés.

  5. JG says:

    Sylvia,
    The misspelled ” Bastarche” still appears as such under <>, with the missing “”a””…will this be corrected eventually and return to the rightful place the letter from Mr. Bastarache? Maybe you could introduce a link from my letter to his to get the whole story to the interested…
    Thanks
    JG

  6. Sylvia says:

    I’ve done what I can JG – not sure if it corrects things, at least right away. It takes google a long time to pick up changes like that. We’ll see what happnes now…

  7. JG says:

    *Bishops of Bathurst Diocese from 1931 to 1985:   Patrice Alexandre Chiasson, C.I.M.  (09 September 1920 –  31 January 1942);  Camille-André Le Blanc (25 Jul 1942 –  08 January 1969 ); Edgar Godin  (09 June  1969 –  06 April 1985)……(from Sylvia’s note under Leon Gagnon!)

    I was just trying to add up why “Reginald Savoie” would bring up this Bastarache letter again….

    Then, a moment ago, it hit me when I read the bishop’s names above!… We have gone full circle with the bishop’s cover-up:

    1. Chiasson turned away the three fathers who came to report Leon Gagnon in 1935, before he was taken out of Saint-Martin de Restigouche…my Father’s abuser and of many others until the 60’s…70’s……

    2.Camille-Andre Leblanc, with the victims of Levi Noel, as reported by Denis Theriault for 1958…the bible swearing and ring kissing affront…

    3.Edgar Godin who turned away L.McI. in 1969, the construction worker near the Charlo  church… who questionned Leon Gagnon’s “relation” with children…

    Each one of them just continued what their predecessor had started, or continued themselves! …from, “before”??…

    We know what has gone on with Vienneau from 1997 with the slight of hand with Normand Brun..in Cap Pelee…then the sealed deals in Bathurst (Levi Noel, et al)before his “elevation” in the Moncton Archdiocese… we will have to wait some more for that result!!!???……

    WE have a “gap” between 1985 and 1987?!..

    Am I missing something from that period which would have also been “handled” from a bishop’s “perspective”…

    Three for three from 1935 to 1985! I have always held a belief as in baseball…that three strikes and you are “out”…

    Another chapter!….

    jg

  8. JG says:

    *”WE have a “gap” between 1985 and 1987?!” in my previous post…typo should have read 1997, not 1987!…

    …and Baspuits, your personal experience makes it 4 out of 4, plus the Bastarache continuing deception…

    …and there is “someone” alive today who has personal knowledge of each incident!….That would make it difficult to claim there wasn’t an “organized”, “deliberate””plan ” for this repeated cover-up ! Individuals or corporate directives?….and what of the foolishness which tried to blame the “loose morals ” of the 60’s??…among other diversions!

    1920 to 2012…getting close to the century of lies! Nothing to celebrate but definitely not to be forgotten!

    jg

  9. Leona says:

    *Can that somebody that knew be charged under Canadian law as Lynn was in Philadelphia?

  10. Baspuit says:

    Mgr Valery Vieaunne said not too long ago, that there is no law that forces him to say who are the living/guilty priests that Bastarache has found.  Bastarahce has interviewed 94 victims of the  Bathurst diocese, involving 13 pedophile priests.
    Our group IVAS, knows of at least 4 pedophile priests, who are still living, with 2 still on duty!!! 
    These 2 that are still on duty, have very young victims and these victims have left our area.  They will probably stay silent until one day they will wake up and find out that they’ve been f*cked, all along! 
    Our last event/abuse is as recent as 2004!
    If no victims come foward, these culprit priests, will stay as pure as the white snow!

  11. John says:

    Baspuit……Below is an e-mail that I recieved from M. Bastarche back on Dec. 10th, 2010 regarding an inquiry that I sent to him on HIS duty to report. From what you are saying in your post above M. Bastarche is out and out lying in his response (below) to me. This would be M. Bastarache a retired Supreme Court of Canada Justice and a recipient of Companion of The Order of Canada for his protection of minority rights as a judge in our fine country.

    I have been digging around M. Bastaraches’ background and have found some interesting connections involving his time spent as Assistant to the President of Assumption Mutual Life in Moncton NB. I would like to dig deeper on this matter but have hit a rock wall for now. I could use some help digging deeper into this matter.

    ***Private and confidential***

    Mr. MacDonald,

    Thank you for your emails. I have had the opportunity to look into the matter and have reviewed the relevant legislation in New-Brunswick and Canadian case law dealing with the duty to report. I apologize if this took some time, but I wanted to make sure that my research was extensive on this matter.

    As you know, the duty to report exists for situations where there is a threat or potential threat to minors. Seeing as all of the child offenders that were named through the conciliation process are either in jail or have since passed away, there is no threat to the public and thus, no duty to report.

    As a professional, my duty is to report if a “child” is or may be in need of protection, even when the information is supposed to be confidential or privileged. As all of the victims who have come forward are over the age of 18, they could also report this abuse, should they wish to do so. If ever there was a case where an individual would be in danger, no matter if he/she were a minor, I would definitely not hesitate to report this to the police. However, this is not the case.

    I would remind you that I have not been hired by the Diocese to “broker a deal” with the alleged victims, as you have stated in your previous email. The Bishop of Bathurst, Msgr. Valery Vienneau, asked me to accept the role of independent conciliator in order to design and direct a process to identify victims of sexual abuse for which the Diocese has accepted responsibility, provide them an official apology, and offer them fair compensation for the affront to their dignity and their suffering.

    This process is meant to be non-confrontational, and as simple and expeditious as possible. As the Conciliator, I am acting independently and I am not the agent, lawyer or consultant of the Bishop, which was what the Bishop wanted. Further, most if not all of the victims that have actively participated in the process have requested that we maintain the confidentiality of their complaint, and I intend to respect their wish.

    Michel Bastarache

    John MacDonald
     

  12. JG says:

    *Leona,

    That same question was put to Rob Talach at the news conference for the Levi Noel civil case…

    The Laws covering the actions of corporations, institutions are limited…and in these cases, the abusers and many victims have passed away… and the church will delay for years ….

    l personally believe that if there was a will there would be a way …but I also in my life have realized that the Laws are mostly for(or against!) the little guys…If you are further up on the ladder, it is much easier to get out of jail and collect $200.00…

    This is another “Monopoly” game…As Sylvia has said before they are getting more serious about these crimes against children in the U.S….as is usually the case, it may take years here in Canada to “follow’ the U.S. trend..

    It could go faster if Mr. Harper decided to use his majority and get some decisive, clearly spelled out rules/Laws to remedy this shame…or he can continue to spend millions trying to convince us we should care about the war of 1812…and less about the children of 1950,1960,1970,1980,1990….a more cruel and murderous attack! …on many more Canadians!

    If here was a will, they would find a way! This battle should be fought with our friends to the south. Who says we have to lead….or trail behind!

    We should be side by side on this…and fast!  Our Criminal Code protects priests and churches, money and buildings and police officers, municipalities and money laundering…but we are very sheepish on this type of “organized” abuse….Sort of an “invisible” crime the predators count on…more weight would have to be given to the “circumstantial”evidence…and lawyers and “Judges” should not be allowed to act without total “morality”…and honesty: No tricks!

    Maybe we should call on the tooth fairy!…

    jg

    jg

  13. Baspuit says:

    Does Bastarache know of our (IVAS) cases involving living priest/monk in the diocese of Bathurst? By his answer, above, I’d have to say no! Does the victims know that their abuser are still alive? Did Bastarche meet with any of them after the above email???

    We haven’t been sucessfull, with some victims, in telling them “IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT”! The guilt/heartbunrs these victims are going through, daily, is sadly rocket fuel for the 20 lawsuit against the diocese!

  14. Leona says:

    **Does anyone know if this case has been included in the case filed by the Centre for Constitutional Rights and SNAP at the International Criminal Court? I heard Pam Spees, one of the CCR attorney’s speak at the SNAP conference. Just google Pam Spees, ICC and SNAP to get more details, but this case continues to be heard. Even another press conference that Eastern Canadian’s were adding their voices to the ICC case, could get some people to sit up and take notice.

    JG, I’m with you on the ‘standing together – fast’! I keep asking how we can create a collective voice. SNAP seems to have the structure in place. How do we get a similar united group in Canada so we can focus our collective energy?

  15. JG says:

    *Leona…

    I have an  idea and a plan to be more united…and meaningful!… My wife just raised her eyebrows when I bounced the ”idea” a few days ago…We would have a year to plan! Crazy idea, but it may be just what this “nut ” needs to do!…Your connections with SNAP may be the answer…

    I give Sylvia permission to “join us for this fight”…because reasonable and obedient is what got us in this cesspool in the first place….we have all winter to plan!

    ”Collective energy” was your question…my answer when you call!!!…

    Curious yet???

    Write or call!… my crazy idea may just be the push needed. 

    Lip service alone won’t do it!

    jg

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