Defrocked priest facing new sexual assault charges in Igloolik, Nunavut
Court records show defrocked Oblate priest Eric Dejaeger is facing six charges of indecent assault and two charges of sexual assault for crimes he allegedly committed in Nunavut between 1978 and 1982.
The records indicate that five of the complainants are female and one is male. Their identities are protected by a publication ban.
A Nunavut Court of Justice document also says that the alleged crimes took place in Igloolik, an Inuit hamlet in the territory's Qikiqtaaluk Region.
Iqaluit RCMP announced Wednesday that Dejaeger was arrested on a Canada-wide warrant in Kingston, Ont., where he was living. Police gave no details about when and where the alleged assaults occurred, but said the charges stem from investigations conducted between 2011 and 2015.
The former priest has previously been convicted of committing numerous sexual offences when he was working as an Oblate missionary.
He appeared on the charges in Iqaluit on Thursday. His next court appearance is set for June 27.
A court order prohibits him from having contact with the complainants and one additional person.
Dejaeger served part of a five-year sentence beginning in 1990 for sexual crimes against children in Baker Lake, Nvt., committed between 1982 and 1989.
He was then sentenced in 2015 to 19 years in prison for 32 crimes he committed against Inuit children and some adults between 1978 and 1982 in Igloolik. The offences included indecent assault, unlawful confinement and bestiality.
Later that year, he was also sentenced for historical sexual offences against children in Alberta, to be served concurrently with his sentence for the Igloolik charges.
He was given statutory release on May 19, 2022, after serving two-thirds of his sentence.
At the time, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Marc Miller told reporters people like Dejaeger "should rot in jail."
Rev. Ken Thorson, with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate Lacombe Canada, said in a statement Wednesday they "condemn any acts sexual abuse."
"At this point, we have not yet been contacted by police, but we are fully committed to co-operating with authorities as this process continues."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.