Father Georges Fournier, a Catholic priest from Edmundston who died last year, is being prosecuted for sexual assault. Two complainants – a woman and her child – said the clergy had abused them for several years.
A septuagenarian and his fifty-year-old son filed civil lawsuits in the Court of Queen’s Bench on Jan. 21 against the Diocese of Edmundston, the Edmundston Diocese Foundation and the estate of Father Georges Fournier.
They are represented by attorney René A. LeBlanc, of Moncton, whose clients include several alleged victims of Catholic priests.
This is the first time Father Georges Fournier has been targeted by civil proceedings of this kind.
Twice a week, for over 10 years
The complainant asserted that Father Fournier invited him to go and live in the presbytery of the Saint -Hilaire church in August 1975 – along with his two sons – and work there as a housekeeper.
She is 26 years old and was recently separated from her husband. He was in a state of despair and this opportunity seemed like a miraclecan we read in the notice of prosecution, obtained by Radio-Canada Acadie.
He said he accepted this offer, moved into parsonage with his sons, and they remained there until 1989.
The complainant states that from 1976 to the beginning of 1987, Father Fournier sexually assaulted him. regularly and multiple timesat a frequency ofabout twice a week, and sometimes more.
Alleged assaults usually occur in the priest’s room.
The plaintiff’s son stated in his notice of prosecution that he heard Father Fournier coming to fetch his mother at night from his bedroom.
The son also accused her of being sexually assaulted regularly and repeatedly by Father Georges Fournier.
He said it started in 1976 when he was five years old and continued until 1987.
The alleged assaults were allegedly committed in the complainant’s room, in the rectory living room, in a car and at a fishing camp on the Restigouche River.
A total grip In their lives
In their notices of suit, the plaintiffs stated that the situation in which they found themselves was particularly difficult, because they felt still in a state of panic and fear and that the priest might come and attack them any time.
They say that Father Fournier had a total grip In their lives. According to them, it prevented them from having friendships and relationships with men [dans le cas de la mère] and with women [dans le cas du fils].
The Complainant also stated that he underwent surgery – a tubal ligation – in 1977 to preventing herself from becoming pregnant because of Father Fournier’s continued sexual assault.
Plaintiffs allege that it was only after Father Fournier’s funeral – which was celebrated on October 9, 2021, a week after his death at the age of 91 – that they able to deal with the effects of abuse and seek help.
According to them, the Diocese of Edmundston was aware of Father Fournier’s alleged behavior, or at least it should.
They say the alleged attacks have some negative consequences, including psychological ones. They say they have suicidal thoughts and have suffered from depression, sleep disturbances and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other things.
The plaintiffs demanded compensation from the diocese, the diocesan foundation and Father Fournier’s property, but they did not specify how much they wanted to get.
The allegations they made in their notice of suit have not yet been substantiated in court.
The attorney for the Diocese of Edmundston submitted documents to indicate that his client intended to present a defense to these two files.
Source: Radio-Canada
