Priest, 90, Who Abused Toronto and Windsor Kids to Be Freed

By Phoebe Ho
The Metro
October 5, 2012

http://metronews.ca/news/windsor/393641/priest-90-who-abused-toronto-and-windsor-kids-to-be-freed/

A 90-year-old priest will be released this Thanksgiving after serving a two-year sentence for sexually abusing more than a dozen children across the province.

Rev. William Hodgson Marshall was convicted in June 2011 for sexually abusing 16 boys and one woman while he was working at schools in Windsor, Toronto, and Sudbury from 1952 to 1985. He now automatically qualifies for statutory release after serving two-thirds of his sentence under federal law.

Parole conditions have been imposed indicating Marshall must avoid any location where children are present, he must report any relationship with an adult who cares for children and avoid any contact with the victims and their families

Living arrangements have been made for the disgraced priest to stay with his former employer and religious order, the Congregation of St. Basil, says the Basilian Fathers' spokesperson Rev. Timothy Scott.

"We indicated at the time when proceedings began that at the end of his custodial sentence we would provide him a place to live out his remaining years, in prayer and penance," he says.

But he won't be staying there as a priest. Scott says Marshall was asked by the Order to write a letter to Pope Benedict requesting to be dismissed from priesthood and his religious order – which he did.

Scott says it's the first time they've ever made an arrangement like this, but he believes it's the right one – indicating that it would be "to no one's advantage" if they didn't take Marshall in.

"I don't think it was a tough decision, I think it was the right decision," he says. "He's very very elderly and in poor health, he has no income because he served his whole life as a Roman Catholic priest, he would be a charge on the state, he'd be indigent if we didn't take him in, and we think it's better that he live in one of our retirement facilities for the rest of his life rather than be out on the street somewhere."

But Marshall's legal woes aren't over yet. He is still facing charges for the sexual abuse of two Saskatoon boys back in the early 1960s.