Charged Priest Faced Similar Allegations, Sarah Sacheli and Trevor Wilhelm, The Windsor Star, May 22, 2010

Charged Priest Faced Similar Allegations

By Sarah Sacheli and Trevor Wilhelm
The Windsor Star
May 22, 2010

http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Charged+priest+faced+similar+allegations/3058854/story.html

Photograph by: File photo, The Windsor Star

A Basilian priest charged with sexually abusing a child in Windsor has faced similar allegations before.

Rev. William Hodgson Marshall, 87, was taken to small claims court in Sudbury in 2002 by a man who claimed the priest had sexually abused him. According to newspaper archives from the Sudbury Star, the allegations dated to the late 1960s and early 1970s when Marshall taught at an all-boys high school.

The Basilian Fathers, a congregation of priests within the Catholic church, this week revealed that Marshall is facing allegations related to his “ministerial assignment” in Windsor. Windsor police Insp. Randy Gould confirmed Friday Marshall faces one count of indecent assault for alleged abuse of a boy between 1981 and 1985. The alleged abuse took place in Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie.

Defence lawyer Andrew Bradie said he will appear for Marshall when his case is in court for the first time June 2.

Rev. Thomas Rosica, spokesman for the Basilian Fathers, said Marshall is living in Toronto in a residence for retired priests. He travelled to Windsor this week to be fingerprinted, Bradie said.

Marshall was the first principal of Holy Names high school when it opened in 1986. He retired in 1993 and moved to the Caribbean where he performed missionary work in St. Lucia. He retired in 1997.

Joseph Berthiaume, director of the Catholic school board, said Friday he wasn’t sure where in Windsor Marshall was teaching when the alleged abuse occurred. Although the allegations are dated, Berthiaume said he is troubled by any accusation against a Catholic educator.

“I’m saddened to hear this news,” he said. “As you know, we’ve been dealing with these kinds of things for the past few years. We will work in co-operation with any type of investigation that goes on, and we feel for victims.”