Testimony done in Mount Cashel civil trial

CANADA
The Telegram

Barb Sweet

Published on June 30, 2016

Testimony in the Mount Cashel civil trial ended this morning in Newfoundland Supreme Court with Justice Alphonsus Faour acknowledging the co-operation of opposing lawyers, as well as the John Does and church officials who sat through much of the trial.

“I suppose there’s an element of Stockholm syndrome to be thrown together for this length of time, but it has been difficult for everyone concerned,” Faour said in thanking the lawyers for the “remarkable” way they conducted themselves.

The trial over many of its 31 non-consecutive days has contained disturbing testimony concerning the experiences of four John Does at the Mount Cashel orphanage several years ago, as well as personal details of their lives since then and various expert opinions on child sex abuse and its impacts.

A retired military man who is a John Doe in the case was in the courtroom Thursday when Faour acknowledged that he and fellow John Doe, a retired teacher, attended many days of testimony (long after they were on the witness stands.) Faour also noted one other John Doe had been a spectator on earlier occasions.

“I know for them that it must have been quite difficult to listen to a lot of the testimony,” Faour said.

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