Victims Reject Bishop Lahey's Settlement

The London, Ontario, law firm of Ledroit Beckett Litigation Lawyers will hold a News Conference at the Delta Halifax Hotel, 1990 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday October 8, 2009.

The News Conference will announce that victims of abuse by an Antigonish Priest are opting out of the class action settlement negotiated by Bishop Lahey. One victim will speak publicly about several concerns he has with Bishop Lahey’s settlement, including that the settlement is unfair to the victims and it fails to allow proper investigation into the Diocese’s actions. He will announce the filing of a civil claim through which he seeks full investigation and exposure of the Diocese’s awareness and reaction to the problem of sexually abusive priests in the Diocese of Antigonish.

The victim, whose name will be made public on Thursday, is a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of Fr. Allan A. MacDonald, a now deceased priest of the Diocese of Antigonish. Fr. MacDonald was ordained in 1940 and had a longstanding career as a priest until his retirement in the late 1990s. Fr. MacDonald spent the majority of his career at Saint Paul Parish in the small community of Havre Boucher, N.S., where most of the abuse took place.

The victim hopes to speak out publicly about his loss of faith in Bishop Lahey and the class action settlement process engineered by Bishop Lahey. He wants to address several concerns about Bishop Lahey’s settlement and wants to alert other victims in Antigonish about their right to opt out of the settlement. He also wants to alert other victims of the looming December 4th, 2009 deadline for opting out. By coming forward now, the victim hopes to seek out the truth, achieve personal healing and reach out to others who have been abused in the Diocese of Antigonish.

Ledroit Beckett is a civil litigation law firm with a Canada-wide focus on representing victims of sexual abuse. They investigate allegations of abuse and advocate for institutional reform and financial compensation for victims. Ledroit Beckett presently represents victims from Nova Scotia to British Columbia in their pursuits of justice against institutions across Canada including the Dioceses of Antigonish, the Diocese of Yarmouth and the Archdiocese of Halifax.

Lawyers from Ledroit Beckett and at least one victim of sexual abuse by Fr. MacDonald will provide further details at the News Conference and will be available to answer questions at the News Conference on Thursday.

Contact: Aaron Lealess (519) 639-2671 (cell) or alealess@ledroitbeckett.com or 1-866-674-4994 (toll free).