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	Victim of Abuse by Priest Awarded More Than $2M Justice: Settlement One of Largest in Canadian History By Erica Bajer Kingston Whig-Standard May 9, 2009 http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1560759 A southwestern Ontario woman has found justice in the criminal and civil courts for the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of pedophile priest Charles Sylvestre. But Lou Ann Soontiens's monetary settlement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of London, one of the largest in Canadian history, can never buy back the innocence she lost. "I feel really good that this part is over," Soontiens, 53, said Friday during a news conference at the London offices of Ledroit Beckett Litigation Lawyers. The Chatham, Ont., woman feels vindicated that the diocese settled the case, which was scheduled to go to court next week. The overall settlement of all claims and costs is more than $2 million. "For all those years I kept it inside," she said, noting when she disclosed the abuse to two adults, including her grandfather and a nun, she wasn't believed. "Now, I have the sense that someone believed me." Soontiens said while she's come a long way on her journey towards healing, she still struggles with nightmares and guilt. She said the money won't dramatically change her life she will remain a homebody and continue doing everyday chores such as cutting the grass. She will also continue working at coming to terms with her stolen childhood. Sylvestre, who pleaded guilty in 2006 to indecently assaulting 47 girls over four decades while serving at parishes in the southwestern Ontario communities of Chatham, Pain Court, London, Windsor and Sarnia, died three months into his three-year prison term. Of all the horrible stories of abuse by Sylvestre, Soontiens's is one of the worst. The abuse Soontiens suffered included years of rape starting at age 12, lawyer Paul Ledroit said yesterday. "It went on over the next five years at least weekly and sometimes more often," he said. The ongoing rapes resulted in an abortion at age 17, he said. Sylvestre went to his grave never admitting any allegations of rape. "The abuse she endured was every imaginable form and beyond," Ledroit said. "It would have been very graphic at trial." Lawyer Rob Talach said the size of the settlement is indicative of the heinous nature of the abuse Soontiens lived through. "It is extremely large (settlement) compared to the past track record in the area," he said. "It's leaps and bounds forward in the right direction. This is the largest individual settlement we know of." Soontiens plans to stay involved with Sylvestre's other victims, many of whom are still in the civil court process. She hopes her settlement will help others. Mark Adkinson, director of communications for the diocese, said more than 50 cases connected to Sylvestre have been settled. "The circumstances of Lou Ann's case are the worst that we've seen," he said. Adkinson said Sylvestre's sins have had a major impact on the diocese. "This has really shaken the diocese to the core, that a priest, one of our own, could have done this to children," he said. "It's a very courageous thing that Lou Ann and these other women have done -- coming forward and sharing their stories." He said Bishop Ronald Fabbro personally apologized to Soontiens during the civil process. "We're sorry, we're sorry, we're sorry," Adkinson said. "We're sorry for all the hurt she and others have experienced as a result of contact with Charles Sylvestre. "We're doing everything we can to make sure something like this never happens again." Soontiens said protecting children from pedophile priests is the most important thing the Catholic church can do. The church could have protected her and the other victims but instead protected Sylvestre, she said.
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