Canadian Diocese Lifts Gag Order on Abuse

Woman can now talk publicly about her childhood sex abuse by a priest.

By Peter Geigen-Miller,
The London Free Press
March 3, 2005

In an apparent Canadian first, the Roman Catholic diocese of London has dropped a gag order that prevented a London woman from publicly talking about her childhood sexual abuse by a priest. The diocese said yesterday it will release any other victims who make the request from gag orders that have been part of out-of-court settlements in abuse cases.

Bishop Ronald Fabbro agreed to withdraw the confidentiality agreement in response to a request from the abuse victim, Irene Deschenes, 42, of London.

Deschenes said as far as she can determine, she's the first Canadian to have officially been released from such a gag order.

Rev. Tony Daniels, vicar-general of the diocese, said confidentiality requirements are no longer standard in abuse settlements negotiated by the diocese.

The abuse in this case began in 1971 when Deschenes, a Catholic elementary school pupil, answered a call for volunteers to help the priest at her Chatham parish.

Deschenes was a 10-year-old Grade 4 pupil in 1971 when the priest came to her class and asked for volunteers to assist in the rectory, next to the school.

The young Deschenes was one of the children picked.

"He chose only girls," she recalled yesterday at a news conference. "We were invited to assist in various projects such as decorating the church, cleaning the pews or folding the bulletins for the service on Sunday."

Deschenes was subjected to sexual abuse as a volunteer, abuse that occurred repeatedly between ages 10 and 12 when she was in Grades 4, 5 and 6.

She remained silent about what had been done to her at the time, but in 1992 reported it to the church's sexual abuse committee.

Legal action followed and Deschenes and the diocese reached a settlement seven years later.

Deschenes was able to talk publicly about her abuse ordeal for the first time yesterday after Bishop Fabbro lifted the 2000 confidentiality agreement that was part of the settlement.

Deschenes requested an end to the confidentiality agreement in a letter to the bishop in late January.

Fabbro agreed to her request in a Feb. 25 response.

"This release will take effect immediately," he wrote.

In the letter, Fabbro joined with his predecessor, Bishop John Sherlock, in expressing "sorrow for the harm that was caused to you" and added: "I assure you that I continue to pray for your healing."

Deschenes said the gag order prevented her from achieving closure and healing, keeping her a victim of abuse.

"It served only the church hierarchy," she said. "It protected them . . . silenced me, minimized the impact of sexual abuse and perpetuated the fallacy there are only a few victims of sexual abuse by clergy."

Responding for the diocese later in the day, Daniels said many abuse victims don't want their abuse known and welcome the privacy provided by confidentiality agreements.

Daniels added the diocese will end confidentiality agreements for any victims who ask.

Donna Dempsey, an abuse survivor and Canadian co-ordinator of the Linkup, a support group for clergy abuse victims, said releasing Deschenes and other abuse victims from gag orders will have important benefits.

"Not only will this allow Irene to break the silence, but begin to heal," said Dempsey.

Ending gag orders also will help to reveal the true extent of clergy abuse in Canada, she said.

"As these gag orders are lifted, the Canadian public will finally have a real body count of victims silenced in civil claims."

She said the actual numbers aren't known, but we've seen only the tip of the iceberg so far.

Daniels responded that the incidence of clergy abuse is no greater or less than in other professions.

The priest who abused Deschenes is retired and no longer involved in active ministry, the diocese reported.

Daniels said there was a police investigation after Deschenes reported her abuse, but no charges were laid.