CANADA
Nunatsiaq Online
DAVID MURPHY
The Nunavut Court of Justice heard stories of child rape, bestiality and defecation as a means to escape sexual assault on Nov. 18, day one of the Eric Dejaeger trial in Iqaluit.
A lean Dejaeger, 66, showed up in court wearing a shaggy grey beard hanging down to his chest and blue standard-issue prison garb.
At the start of the day’s sitting, Dejaeger pleaded guilty to eight charges of indecent assault.
That leaves 69 more charges, most of them sex-related allegations involving minors, to be tried before Justice Robert Kilpatrick, who is sitting alone without a jury.
Reporters and supporter witnesses packed the courtroom to hear from three witnesses whose evidence is related to nine of the 69 charges.
The trial began with a witness who testifying about her experience with “Father Eric” inside the Catholic church in Igloolik between 1978 and 1982.
None of the witnesses may be indentified.
The first witness said Dejaeger put his hand into her pants and stroked her vagina under her underwear while she sat on his lap in the mass area of St. Stephen’s church.
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