CJAD 800 AM
21 October 2011
Posted By: Claude Beaulieu cbeaulieu@astral.com
Fifty-six year old Margot Bussiere held up a sign in front of a private college in her childhood hometown of Rigaud, near quebec’s boundary with ontario, and demanded justice for herself, for her sister and for all victims of pedophile priests. Bussiere was eight years old, and her sister, nine, when she says two priests from the college raped the two of them.
Forty-eight years later, her sister lives with deep psychological scars and is pernmanently interned in a psychiatric institute.
Margot has put her own life back together, but while she says she refuses to be a victim she still lives with the scars and that decades after the assaults, she still cries.
Margot filed a criminal complaint against the two priests almost a year and a half ago.
Her aim now is two-fold: to get other victims of pedophile priests to come forward, and to get closure by making sure her and her sister’s assailants are charged and convicted despite any attempts by the church to cover for pedophile priests.
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Two sisters allege they were raped as students at College Bourget
Margot Bussiere (centre) and some supporters hold picket signs outside College Bourget on Friday.
Updated: Fri Oct. 21 2011 8:12:42 PM
ctvmontreal.ca
MONTREAL — Two sisters broke a painful silence Friday that they say they have been keeping since the 1960s, when they allege they were both sexually abused while studying at College Bourget de Rigaud.
Margot Bussière alleges she and her hospitalized older sister were raped when they were 8 and 9 years old, respectively, by the former director of the college and the parish priest.
“It had a terrible impact on both our lives because when you abuse a child at 8 or 9, you make a victim out of that child,” Bussière says.
She met the media Friday in an effort not only to have the pain felt by her and her sister recognized, but also to reach out to other students who attended that school.
“Our goal today is to make sure that victims know that something happened here, that they’re not alone,” said Carlo Tarini of the Quebec Victims’ Rights Association. “And that they join up together to obtain a measure of justice.”
Bussière says she has little doubt there are more people out there just like her.
“I am sure there are a lot of other victims,” she said. “Of that I am very sure.”
Just two weeks ago in Montreal, in a precedent-setting case, dozens of victims of sexual abuse were paid upward of $18 million as an acknowledgement and apology by the Holy Cross Congregation for abuse by priests.
The Clercs de St. Viateur – the order that runs College Bourget – say they were aware of some police involvement, but had not heard of any other complaints against the priests in question, who are now deceased.
“We are cooperating in every way possible,” says the school’s current director Jean-Marc St-Jacques. “But these are things that happened long ago.”
The school says the Sureté du Québec did approach them, asking questions and looking for photos of these two priests. But the SQ wouldn’t give CTV any information on whether an investigation continues today.
Margot Bussière’s sister lives at the Douglas Hospital – she’s tried to take her life three times.
Bussière wants justice- and says she’ll fight to get it.
“A man abuses you when you’re eight years old and he’s supposed to represent God and authority,” she said. “And then you’re the victim and he’s being protected.”
With the priests passed on Bussière is going after the Clercs de St. Viateur, saying the only way to stop being a victim is to speak out.
According to the second article, both priest are dead. What would the police be investigating 18 months later if both the accused are dead? Charges can not be laid against someone who is dead. Have the police neglected to tell Bussiere that the priest are dead? or, is this an error in reporting?
Also, who are those two Viatorian priests? Does anyone know?
All of the questions aside, hats off to Margot Bussiere for speaking out publicly.