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	Diocese Rues Benefit for Charged Photog Anglican Leadership Unaware of Fundraiser for Accused Molester By Jonathan Jenkins CNews November 16, 2007 http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2007/11/16/4660419-sun.html A benefit for accused child molester Pedro Briceno -- held at St. Paul's Anglican Church and attended by the parish priest -- was regretable, the Anglican diocese of Toronto said in a statement yesterday. "As with most fundraisers that are held in individual parishes, the Anglican diocese of Toronto was not informed of the Nov. 10 event," the statement said. "The diocese has a strictly enforced, zero tolerance policy in regard to improper sexual conduct. This policy is available on our website at toronto.anglican.ca. "While we believe that every accused should be presumed innocent unless proven guilty, we regret -- given the seriousness of the charges in this case -- that the event was held." The diocese is continuing to investigate the incident but will not comment again while the accused is still before the courts, the statement said. Briceno, 64, faces four counts of sex assault, four counts of sexual interference and three counts of invitation to sexual touching. Police expect to lay additional sex assault and sex interference charges at his next court appearance Thursday. All of the complainants allege they were sexually abused by Briceno at around the age of 8. The first allegations were raised by three young girls aged 7 to 9, who told police they had been molested at Briceno's home earlier this year. Media coverage of those charges led to other complainants coming forward, police say. One now 24-year-old woman told the Sun the accused would contrive to get her alone by offering to show her a computer, then told her to rub his penis over his pants. When news of the charges against the well-known photojournalist for the Spanish-language paper El Popular became known, his supporters in the Chilean community organized the benefit. Among those who spoke at the event was Father Maurice Francois, the priest in charge of St. Paul's Church, on Willard Ave. in west-end Toronto. He has refused to speak to the Sun about what he said, but an account in El Popular said he warned against bearing false witness and compared facing such an allegation to death itself. Silvia Cayuqueo, an organizer of the benefit, said Francois did not suggest the young girls and women involved in the case were lying. "He spoke in general," Cayuqueo said. "The father spoke to many things -- when you make mistakes, when you are crying too much, God is with you. "When you accuse someone of something that is not right, God is looking at you. Things like that." Like many of the other people who support Briceno, she said the photographer and musician is likely the victim of a misunderstanding. "Pedro is a very, very nice person," Cayuqueo said. "As soon as he sees you, he starts to hug you, kissing you, but that's with everybody -- with the women, the men, the old ladies. "He's a very passionate person. The Chilean people, the Spanish people, they are like that. It's our culture, even with children. If you feel some affection for them, that is our culture to show them. There's nothing wrong about that." The benefit raised $1,100 to go to Briceno's wife and two children, Cayuqueo said. "For Pedro I feel sympathy for him, but right now I think who needs assistance is the wife and children," she said. "They have to eat. She has to pay the rent." Briceno's lawyer, Paul Gosio, declined to say anything about the case yesterday. "Today, at this time, I'm not gong to make any comment," he said. "The matter's up again relatively soon and maybe at that time it may be appropriate." He said the benefit was organized without his input or knowledge. "I honestly haven't got the slightest clue about what happened there," he said. "I wouldn't be attending something like that."
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