CANADA
Hamilton Spectator
Nearly six months after a priest facing a sexual assault charge was permitted to return to his native Brazil in a controversial Crown deal, the Ministry of the Attorney General continues to investigate the circumstances.
Ministry spokesperson Brendan Crawley told The Spectator recently that the controversial deal that permitted Reverend Jose Silva to return to Brazil and escape prosecution last May is still being investigated.
At the time, Crawley acknowledged that the deal crafted by defence counsel Dean Paquette and assistant Crown attorney Carey Lee was “not common practice” and would be the subject of a ministry probe.
Silva, a guest priest at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, was charged with one count of sexual assault Sept. 22, 2011, after a complaint by an 18-year-old musician.
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