By Trevor Wilhelm
The Windsor Star
April 1, 2011
http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Punish+church+Sylvestre+crimes+Lawyer/4543714/story.html
| Friday, April 1, 2011, marked the end of a three-week trial in the civil case against the London diocese by Kelly Murphy-Myers, 41, of Chatham, who is suing the diocese for $3.5 million for sexual abuse at the hands of Father Charle Sylvestre at St. Ursula’s parish in Chatham. Shown here is this 2006 file photo, police officers escort Sylvestre after leaving a Chatham courtroom. Sylvestre was convicted in 2006 of 47 counts of indecent assault involving girls at parishes in Windsor, Sarnia, London, Chatham and Pain Court over four decades. He died in 2007 at age 84, only months into his three-year prison sentence. |
The lawyer for one of Charles Sylvestre’s sexual assault victims says the London diocese must be punished for its alleged coverups and the “silent shuffle” of the pedophile priest.
“If there’s one thing that this decision can do, it can send a piercing sound in the form of punitive damages that this conduct is not acceptable,” the victim’s lawyer, Rob Talach, said in his closing submissions. “This conduct will be punished.”
Friday marked the end of a three-week trial in the civil case against the London diocese.
Kelly Murphy-Myers, 41, of Chatham, is suing the diocese for $3.5 million for sexual abuse at the hands of Sylvestre at St. Ursula’s parish in Chatham.
Sylvestre was convicted in 2006 of 47 counts of indecent assault involving girls at parishes in Windsor, Sarnia, London, Chatham and Pain Court over four decades.
He died in 2007 at age 84, only months into his three-year prison sentence.
The diocese has settled 65 lawsuits involving Sylvestre and has 12 remaining, including this one.
Murphy-Myers’ civil suit is the first of any to go to court.
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