IQALUIT, Nunavut – A Nunavut judge has found a former Roman Catholic priest guilty of 24 of the more than 70 sex-related charges he faced involving Inuit children more than 30 years ago.
Defrocked Oblate priest Eric Dejaeger had already pleaded guilt to eight counts of sexual assault when his trial began in December.
Get breaking National news
In his written decision, Justice Robert Kilpatrick noted that the quantity of evidence in the case had been substantially weakened by the passage of time.
The trial was marked by high emotion and lurid tales.
- Kraft Hockeyville-winning town of Taber reopens ice rink after 2025 explosion
- Possible WestJet strike has Kelowna travellers worried about their plans
- Possible WestJet strike leaves dog competitor out thousands in rebooking fees
- Saskatchewan First Nation worried about community safety after vet clinic cancelled
Witness after witness told court that Dejaeger used his position as Igloolik’s missionary to lure and trap them into sex, threatening them with hellfire or separation from their families if they told.
Dejaeger’s lawyer questioned the credibility of many of those accounts, but the Crown argued that enough common themes emerged from the testimony that the stories from the victims hold together.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.