Father Bernard Cloutier

January 18, 2010

Today we are here to announce the commencement of five separate lawsuits related to the sexual abuse committed by Father Bernard Cloutier against former altar boys between 1971 and 1983, while he was serving as a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie.

These assaults are not news to any of you for the public prosecution, conviction and sentencing of Father Cloutier has been in the public spotlight throughout much of the last two years.

While the focus of the criminal process was upon Father Cloutier, the civil lawsuits are intended to broaden the scope of inquiry. The conduct of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie and specifically the actions of Bishop Gerard Dionne will be a considerable focus of this litigation.

This is one of those rare situations where actual evidence of institutional cover-up and interference with secular authorities exists. The actions of Bishop Dionne as a representative of the Diocese during the 1983 police investigation of Father Cloutier have been described by Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Judge Paul Kane, as an “abuse of his religious position”. (ref: p.50, para. 263).
Bishop Dionne’s actions on April 7, 1983 in interrupting the police interview of two of the victims and misrepresenting what those victims told him could be described by some as an obstruction of justice.

it is due time that those who chose to protect the perpetrator and the Church are held accountable for their actions.

For t his reason Bishop Gerard Dionne, formerly Auxiliary Bishop of this Diocese has been named personally as a defendant in two of the five lawsuits. By doing so the victims seated here today hope to send a strong message to the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.

But their message is not limited to the religious hierarchy; they also want to reach out to the lay membership of the Church. The time for silence in matters of sexual abuse of children by clergy is over. Stand up, for you are the body of the Church. Tell your bishops and priests that this problem must be confronted honestly with transparency and compassion. If you know of misconduct speak out. The true scandal is the cover up and mismanagement of this most pressing crisis.

Finally, and most significantly the primary focus of their efforts here today is towards other victims of sexual abuse. They want them to know that help and healing exists. They want their example to strengthen and empower others to step forward and be heard. Silence is not the answer.

On behalf these three gentlemen and the other two who could not be with us today, I wish to thank those in attendance for their coverage of this story and this issue.

Finally in closing I would ask that anyone with information pertaining to this case call our toll-free tips line at 1-866-674-4994 or email rtalach@ledroitbeckett.com.