Alleged Victim Wants Closure from Priest

By Jason Viau
Blackburn News
November 16, 2015

https://blackburnnews.com/chatham/chatham-news/2015/11/16/alleged-victim-wants-closure-from-priest/

John, whose real name has not been released, speaks to reporters about the civil suit facing area priest Linus Bastien on Monday, November 16, 2015. (Photo by Alexandra Latremouille)

One of father Linus Bastien’s alleged victims wants the retired priest to accept and admit the sexual abuse claims leveled against him.

Complainant John, whose real name and identity is protected under a publication ban, is one of three behind a $3.1-million civil lawsuit against Bastien and the Diocese of London.

John says he wants Bastien to take the stand.

“Acceptance. You know what, ‘I did this,'” John says he wants to hear from Bastien. “Here’s a man of the morale cloth and man he’s just been one of the biggest perpetrators of exactly what he’s trying to instill in his parishioners.”

John, who was 13 at the time, and six others were allegedly sexually assaulted while Bastien was a minister, some of that time in Maidstone.

Criminal proceedings are still taking place against Bastien after he was arrested and charged in October 2011.

His alleged victims say the delay in Canada’s justice system is frustrating with many involved adding they hope to see all court cases come to a conclusion.

“It would be a big weight off my shoulder. It would allow me to start to heal internally,” says John. “Being able to put the hurt and pain and distrust, all the other demons that come with being put in that type of situation.”

Bastien is approaching his 90s and some feel they may not get justice if he dies before the court cases are finished. John’s lawyer Robert Talach says he will move to examine Bastien “the second the criminal trial is done.”

If Bastien dies before the the trial is over, the criminal process automatically ends. Talach says Bastien is not obligated to testify in a criminal case, whereas civilly he doesn’t have that option.

John, who’s now a middle-aged man, says he simply wants closure and hopes to get that before Bastien passes.

“It would be a very sad day to know that I’ve come forward and put myself in a position of vulnerability and then to find out that it was all for not,” John says.

Talach says Bastien may currently be staying at a retirement home in Chatham. A trial date has been tentatively set for March.