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	Man Speaks out about Sex Abuse in Nova Scotia Church By Tiffany Crawford Canada.com October 8, 2009 http://www.canada.com/speaks+about+abuse+Nova+Scotia+church/2085850/story.html A Nova Scotia man, who claims he was sexually abused by a priest when he was a boy, has spoken out about the "dark place" and shame he experienced and is calling on other alleged victims to come forward. Fighting back tears, Philip Latimer, 47, said in Halifax Thursday he lost trust in the church and his faith and could not describe "the degree of disgustedness" he felt after he was allegedly sexually abused by a priest. "This is not an easy position for myself to be entering in . . . I put myself in a vulnerable state," said Latimer. "When this happened I was put into a dark, dark place . . . and I cannot describe the shame I felt and the degree of disgustedness inside that I was put into." Latimer filed a statement of claim Wednesday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court alleging he was sexually molested over four years by Rev. Allan MacDonald -- who has since died -- when he was a priest in Havre Boucher, N.S. According to the court documents provided by Aaron Lealess, Latimer's lawyer, MacDonald's status as a Roman Catholic priest allowed him "an opportunity to be alone with (Latimer) and to exert total control over him, prey upon him and sexually abuse him." The civil suit also names the Archdiocese of Halifax and the Diocese of Antigonish, and seeks $2 million in damages. None of the allegations has been proven in court. The Diocese of Antigonish was overseen by former bishop Raymond Lahey, currently facing unrelated child pornography charges after a Sept. 25 search of his laptop at Ottawa's International airport allegedly revealed graphic images. The day after he was charged, Lahey resigned as the bishop of Antigonish, N.S., where he just finished overseeing a historic, $15-million, out-of-court settlement with people who were sexually abused as children by a former priest at the diocese. Latimer opted out of that settlement to instead launch this suit. Latimer said the Dec. 4 deadline for the alleged victims to come forward for the class action suit is unfair because it was too rushed. He hopes other alleged victims will opt out of the settlement and join him in speaking out. "After (Dec.4) it's over and if you don't come forward it's over for you too," he said. "I had to sit back and think about it. I am a proud person. . . . I have lots of friends in the community. I deal with people on different levels and they don't know nothing about me . . . but now I don't know how they are going to treat me." He claims he was 11 years old when he was abused as an altar boy in the Diocese of Antigonish. The $15-million settlement is meant to compensate anyone who was sexually assaulted in that diocese since the 1950s. He also made a public plea Thursday for other alleged victims to come forward. "I came here and I am telling you I will have a lot of emotion. I will be angry and I will be sad . . . I don't know what it going to happen to me inside again. Am I going to crash? I hope I don't fall into a hole so bad again," he said. "This is not about money, it is about seeing other victims come out." Latimer's brother Warren also came forward at the news conference Thursday, saying he was also abused, but was uncertain whether he would also file a civil suit. "I don't know what I will be doing. It is extremely hard for me to be here," Warren said. Meanwhile, in Ottawa, a hearing to change the bail conditions for Lahey, 69, is to take place today.
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