In the crusade against the prescription

News 16 October, 2017
  • Photo Agence QMI, Yves Charleboix
    Roger Lessard, a spokesperson for the victims, Pierre Bolduc and Denis Cloutier, who say they are victims of a former priest, protested on Sunday in front of the church of St Alphonse de Thetford Mines.

    Yves Charlebois

    Sunday, 15 October, 2017 13:11

    UPDATE
    Monday, 16 October, 2017 00:28

    Look at this article

    THETFORD MINES | Two men who claim to be victims of sexual assault of a priest pedophile that took advantage of the passage of the cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix to the church of St Alphonse de Thetford Mines, on Sunday, to make their claims.

    Denis Cloutier and Pierre Bolduc reported that as the parish priest Jean-Marie Bégin, Thetford Mines, would have attacked as well as five other boys in the 1960’s and 70’s.

    “He led us to his cottage in East lake, near Disraeli, to attack us. We have never talked about between us and our relationship, ” said Mr. Bolduc. The priest in question was then mutated in the parish of Duberger in Quebec city, where, according to Mr Bolduc, he would have made other victims. The Church man had taken his own life at his cottage in 1986.

    Photo Agence QMI, Yves Charlebois

    Both require the Church to recognize the attacks that they say have been victims. They also wish that the government adopts a law that would outlaw the periods of limitation in civil suits. Archbishop Lacroix indicated that an advisory committee is listening to the archbishopric of Quebec, and that he receives all the world, one Sunday afternoon per month at the cathedral of Quebec. “I have met victims who have shared with me their suffering,” -he said, considering it difficult to separate the facts after so many years.

    “Wrong,” said Bellemare

    The opening that gives the impression of Cyprien Lacroix is, however, perplexed Me Marc Bellemare, who accompanied the victims in the case.

    Photo Agence QMI, Yves Charlebois

    The archbishop of Québec, Gérald Cyprien Lacroix

    “It is false, I know of several victims who had not managed to meet him,” says the former minister of Justice, about which the diocese has refused to respond.

    Mr. Bellemare explains the evil that the limitation period of three years in such a case, is still not abolished.

    Without detour, the lawyer points the finger at the government. “The more time passes, the more the situation is unacceptable. It is the height of injustice : the priests die, witnesses die, victims also die. It becomes very difficult to prove, since it is much based on “evidence,” sad mr. Bellemare.