When Did the Church Know? Questions about Allegations against Brian Boucher

By Amanda Jelowicki
Global News
December 1, 2018

https://bit.ly/2QtaE4

Father Brian Boucher’s trial lasted one week, with shocking testimony from two alleged victims, detailing horrific sexual abuse.

Also coming out of the trial are questions about when the church first learned of the allegations against Boucher, and why it took so long to arrest him.

A verdict is not expected until January. Meanwhile, those questions remain.

“The Roman Catholic Church has for a long time tried to put a lid on the cover of sex abuse by its priests,” said Carlo Tarini, a spokesman for the Quebec Association of Victims of Priests.

Boucher started working at the Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in TMR in 2005. That’s the year one alleged victim testified the abuse started. The victim was 12 at the time.

In his testimony, Boucher admitted he left the parish in 2014, before the end of his mandate. He left to undertake ecclesiastical studies in Washington.

Some parishioners told Global News they were surprised, saying the departure felt “abrupt.”