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	Sex-Abuse Victims' Suits Last Bid for Justice: Lawyer By Joe Matyas London Free Press January 29, 2008 http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2008/01/29/4799030-sun.html A lawsuit is the only means of justice left for some adults sexually abused as children by pedophile priests, a London litigation lawyer said yesterday. Five of six priests named as abusers in lawsuits filed against the Roman Catholic dioceses of Sault Ste. Marie and London are dead, said Rob Talach of Ledroit Beckett. Some were charged or convicted of offences in the past, he said. Several people appeared in public in Sudbury yesterday to announce they're suing the Congregation of the Resurrection, a religious order in Ontario, as well as the two dioceses for sexual abuse, Talach said. "This is the only opportunity they have now to bring some closure and healing to the suffering they've carried for years." The allegations of sexual misconduct span three decades — from 1956 to 1986 — and involve incidents in Sudbury, North Bay, Field, Crystal Falls, Powassan and Tecumseh. The complaints range from genital fondling and masturbation to oral and anal sex and often repeated abuse. The children were between eight and 15 when the abuse took place, the statements of claim say. In his statement, a former altar boy says he was violated by his parish priest for six years. He was "nothing more than a sexual toy" and suffered "every imaginable act of sexual abuse and violation," Talach said. The priests were posted in the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie and some also in London and Hamilton dioceses. In some cases, the priests were moved after complaints, Talach said. "It was the classic silent shuffle. It involved suppressing information and quietly moving the priest to another parish or diocese." One of the six priests won an Ontario medal for good citizenship and was eulogized for his youth work at his funeral. The priests named in the suits are: Magnus Fedy, John Fisher, Rene Hebert, Victor Killoran, Lawrence Paquette and Gerald Roy. Talach said the Diocese of London has improved its response to abuse victims with reforms made by Bishop Ronald Peter Fabbro.
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