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	Trial Wraps up against Priest By Marie Zettler Ottawa Sun January 9, 2008 http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2008/01/10/4764877-sun.html Monsignor Bernard Prince, a former Wilno priest who faces one count of indecent assault for incidents that allegedly happened 30 years ago, will hear the verdict in Pembroke court Monday. The 44-year-old complainant, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, accuses Prince of repeated sexual abuse between 1976 and 1979. In his trial summation, Crown attorney John Pepper described Prince's close relationship with the complainant's family. "His father was proud of his association with Bernard Prince, almost bragging about it," Pepper said. "The whole family thought he was a warm and lovely person who showered them with acts of kindness and gifts. He even arranged for them to meet the Pope." Pepper acknowledged an earlier suggestion by defence lawyer Chris Kelly that the complainant "could have been kinder" to his parents when he revealed the alleged abuse to them. "That's bound to be true," said Pepper. "(The complainant) had just spent 30 years hearing Bernard Prince praised to the skies, all the while knowing something that contradicted these opinions." Pepper also addressed the defence's allegations the complainant, who is suing Prince and the Catholic Diocese of Pembroke for $1.5 million in damages, has come forward because of the money. "If this were a different kind of trial, if Bernard Prince was the driver of a car that had run over (the complainant's) foot instead of grabbing him, no one would say, 'You wicked greedy man,' " Pepper said. In his summation, Kelly pointed to inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony. "On one occasion he said the alleged assaults stopped after his parents came to get him," Kelly said. "He never said that before. On previous occasions he testified that he had been assaulted every day, if not twice a day, for 10 days. It's inconsistent that he said the assaults stopped sometime within the 10 days." Prince faces outstanding charges related to 11 other complainants.
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