CANADA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Statement by Brenda Brunelle of Windsor , Canadian SNAP leader, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 519 903 7503 (cell), 519 800 3492 (SNAP line), windsor@snapnetwork.org )
A settlement has been reached with the Diocese of London regarding a now deceased predator priest. We are grateful to the brave victim who fought for justice despite delays and mean-spirited legal tactics and deceptive public relations tactics used by London Catholic Bishop Ronald Fabbro.
We hope the brave survivor finds some healing and peace from this settlement.
According to the London Free Press, London diocesan officials say “any damages Grenier suffered ‘arose from mental or physical conditions that existed prior to the assaults or were acquired by her after the assaults.’”
That’s appalling and incredibly callous. Imagine: a bishop is actually claiming – through his lawyers – that ANY harm that this brave woman has suffered stems from other sources and NONE stems from her repeated childhood assaults by a trusted Catholic priest.
It’s also deceptive for Bishop Fabbro to claim that, in the words of his lawyers, if a victim chooses to file a lawsuit, “we have to follow the legal process they adopted.” Victims sue when they’ve been repeatedly betrayed, not just by a priest but also by his supervisors. For a bishop to pretend to be powerless is both laughable and insulting.
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