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Parole granted for former priest who sexually abused children
in Igloolik, Nunavut
April Hudson · CBC News ·
Posted: Jun 07, 2022 11:41 AM CT
Eric Dejaeger leaves an Iqaluit courtroom in 2011 after his first appearance for child sexual abuse charges in Igloolik dating back to the 1970s. Dejaeger has been released on parole. (Chris Windeyer/The Canadian Press)
A former Catholic priest who sexually abused children and adults in Igloolik, Nunavut, has been granted parole.
In 2015, Eric Dejaeger, now 75, was sentenced to 19 years in prison after being convicted of 32 counts of sexual abuse. Because he spent time in custody before his trial, he had 11 years left to serve.
As first reported by APTN, Dejaeger was granted statutory release on May 19.
The Parole Board of Canada imposed several conditions on his release, including a residency requirement that means Dejaeger will have to return to a designated facility every night, though the written decision redacts the location. He is not allowed around children, cannot have contact with his victims, and must follow a treatment plan and report all relationships and friendships with women.
The parole board wrote that without the residency requirement — which Dejaeger objected to — his release plan "is not viable and does not mitigate [his] undue risk." Dejaeger had asked instead to live with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, but that residence is across from a park and occasionally has guests who bring their children for overnight stays.
The parole board cited a 2018 psychological risk assessment that found Dejaeger was at moderate risk to reoffend sexually, and low to moderate risk to reoffend generally.
The board wrote that Dejaeger has "made limited measurable and observable gains in addressing [his] risk" but continues to deny responsibility for many of his crimes.
As for requiring him to return to the designated facility each night, the parole board said that was due to several factors, including the fact Dejaeger once fled the country while on bail and needs a high level of supervision.
The crimes Dejaeger was sentenced for in 2015 date back to his time as a priest in Igloolik between 1978 and 1982. He fled to Belgium from Canada in 2002 despite a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest, but was expelled from Belgium in 2011 and sent back to Canada.
He ultimately pleaded guilty to eight sex-related charges, and, after a trial, was found guilty of 24 more offences ranging from indecent assault to sexual assault and bestiality.
Later in 2015, he was also convicted of sexually abusing children in Alberta.
He was also convicted in 1990 for sexually assaulting children in Baker Lake.
The man should never be allowed to see daylight.
Horsham catholic priest Anthony White jailed for child sex abuse
Published 3 days ago
Anthony White
Father Anthony White worked as assistant priest at St John the Evangelist church in Horsham,
West Sussex in the 90s
A Roman Catholic priest who sexually abused a 15-year-old boy in the 1990s has been jailed.
Father Anthony White, 64, from Cross-in-Hand, East Sussex, plied the boy with drink before raping him after he visited his house, Sussex Police said.
Tao Qazi, White's victim, told the BBC he has struggled to find happiness since the attack and cannot understand why he was "singled out".
White has been sentenced to 10 years and six months at Hove Crown Court.
He had been working as assistant priest at St John the Evangelist Church in Horsham, West Sussex, at the time of the offences in 1992 and 1993.
Police first received a report of the crimes in 2020 and said White had got to know the boy when he and his family attended church.
Following the sentencing, Det Con Yvonne Daddow said: "He gradually gained their confidence and the boy started to visit the priest's address in Horsham on the pretext of doing some jobs around the house.
"However on the first occasion White plied the boy with drink and then raped him. On further occasions he also committed sexual assaults on the teenager."
White's victim, Tao Qazi, waived his legal right to anonymity to speak out about what happened to him.
Mr Qazi told the BBC he had been caught stealing money from the offering plate at church and was asked to perform odd jobs at White's house to atone for his behaviour.
Mr Qazi said: "When the door was locked that's when I felt, in that moment, that something's not right here. Obviously on the first night that's when I was brutally attacked and it was very severe."
"It was absolutely drummed into my head, no-one is to know, including [my] father.
"I pretended to be happy but the truth is inside of me - I was dying. I'm still trying to work a lot of things out. I'm still trying to understand, why was I singled out."
White will serve two-thirds of his sentence in prison.
He was sentenced to 10 years and six months for buggery, and five years for each sexual assault charge, which will be served concurrently.
He was convicted at Chichester Crown Court in April.
In a statement, the Arundel and Brighton Diocese "sincerely apologised" for White's actions and said the diocese took all abuse allegations seriously and was "committed to rebuilding trust and confidence".
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