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	Voices of Victims Raised Diocese of London the Target of Protesters By Ellwood Shreve Chatham Daily News September 11, 2008 http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1194285 Several victims of the late Father Charles Sylvestre are preparing to raise their voices in protest against the Diocese of London. Lou-Ann Soontiens, one of 47 women the Roman Catholic priest abused over a span of three decades, told The Chatham Daily News a news conference is planned for Oct. 6 to raise concerns about how long it is taking the diocese to settle outstanding lawsuits. The date also marks the second anniversary of Sylvestre being sentenced to serve time in prison after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting the women when they were young girls. He died four months later in a prison hospital due to health reasons at age 84. "All the women who are coming are the ones who haven't settled," Soontiens said. "We're fighting them tooth and nail to get what we want." She said Bishop Ronald Fabbro promised victims they would have a speedy resolution. Mark Adkinson, spokesman for the Diocese of London, said the diocese has been moving forward as quickly as it can to try to reach a settlement with victims "in a fair and reasonable matter." He noted the process hit a snag. "We had a number of meetings scheduled in August and September, but they had to be postponed quite unexpectedly, because the lead counsel for the diocese . . . was appointed a judge," Adkinson said. He said the meetings have been canceled until a new lead legal counsel comes on board. "With something as sensitive as this, you want to give people some time to examine the files and get to know what the background is, just so that they aren't . . . put into an awkward situation," Adkinson said. He noted the diocese has a meeting planned soon with its new representation "and hopefully be able to get these meetings back on track." Despite this unforeseen circumstance, Soontiens also accused the diocese of dragging its feet in the process. She said she has recently had to undergo another psychological testing, which, like the other tests, indicates she was abused and it has left lasting effects, such as having trust issues. "We went through the court system, we have a guilty plea," Soontiens said. "Just let us get on with our lives." Adkinson said, "from our point of view, we would like to come to a good conclusion with everybody." He said there's steps the diocese puts in place for the protection of the victims, noting some victims want to try to settle without having a lawyer. "We know it's a bit of a more painful process," Adkinson said, adding it is better for victims to have legal representation. The news conference will be held at Soontiens' home at 16 O'Brien Dr. She said supporters are welcomed to attend.
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