A ex-religious denies having abused teens

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Réjean Trudel is accused of indecent assault on several teenagers.

Carl Vaillancourt

Tuesday, 11 July, 2017 20:32

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Tuesday, 11 July, 2017 20:32

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SAINT-HYACINTHE | An ancient religious accused of abuse of 13 teens, denied on Tuesday having committed such gestures between 1970 and 1986.

Réjean Trudel was a marist brother and head of Patro Lokal Saint-Hyacinthe, at the time of the alleged crime. This organism was used for adolescents placed by social services.

Mr. Trudel said Tuesday during his trial, never having had gestures of a sexual nature towards teenagers, even though the 10 alleged victims have testified to the contrary last week.

In its story Tuesday, Mr. Trudel has acknowledged, however, have already been the victim of complaints in the past.

Blame

“I remember that two young people had made a complaint to my place for gestures with sexual connotations, but the first has abandoned his complaint under the threat of his brother, while the survey revealed that I had passed my hands over the thighs of the other teen. I was simply recommended not to put my hands on his thighs “, he said.

The religious community criticized several differences of behavior according to the testimony of the accused. Hugs, hugs, or even the simple fact of dancing at nightclubs reserved for teenagers have been brought to the attention of Réjean Trudel. The accused admitted having been the subject of a complaint by the Directorate of youth protection (DYP) after his first stay in Rome, he there remained for seven months between June 1981 and January 1982.

Social worker informed

The accused is back on the events that allegedly occurred in 1982, when as a young teenager would take refuge in his room when he was taken of an anxiety attack. Réjean Trudel confessed to having given to a social worker that a teenager of 16 years slept in his room.

“He has been made aware of the situation, and then I told him that the boy needed psychiatric help and that it was beyond my know-how, he added before the Tribunal. The social worker told me to keep it, since he was soon to leave for an apartment supervised. “

The accused has even confessed that the teenager in question has flattered his sex, but he allegedly told him to stop. The alleged victim had explained that they had maintained sexual relations. The accused, however, denied these facts.

Réjean Trudel has started proceedings to leave the Marist Brothers, but it took five years before to obtain its withdrawal of the religious congregation. He had not digested the prohibition of approaching young people according to what he confessed in front of judge Richard Marleau Tuesday.