CANADA
Hamilton Spectator

He had a responsibility to attend today.”

That’s what assistant Crown attorney Carey Lee advised the court on May 9 when Father Jose Silva, facing one count of sexual assault, failed to appear.

What the justice of the peace wasn’t told, a transcript of the proceedings reveals, was that Crown and defence lawyers had taken a number of steps to ensure Silva boarded a flight to Brazil five days earlier.

Defence counsel Dean Paquette said the Crown’s office played a role in obtaining the priest’s passport — which had been surrendered to Hamilton police as a bail condition — and in making sure border services officers didn’t block Silva from leaving the country.

The only condition Lee sought in return, he said, was that a countrywide warrant be issued for Silva’s arrest to prevent him from ever returning. By ensuring Silva was not present on May…