George Brignac, disgraced former New Orleans deacon, indicted on child rape charge
An Orleans Parish grand jury on Thursday handed up a charge of child rape against George Brignac, a former Roman Catholic deacon who was removed from ministry decades ago amid multiple molestation accusations but still remained involved in a local church parish until last year.
Brignac, 84, faces a count of first-degree rape in the newest bid from prosecutors to convict a man who decades ago beat similar allegations.
Thursday’s indictment came more than two months after New Orleans police arrested Brignac on a warrant accusing him of multiple acts of abuse, including raping an altar boy he met while teaching at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in the late 1970s.
He is the first clergyman in the area to be indicted since the church’s child molestation crisis boiled over last year, when Brignac and dozens of others were included on a list that New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond issued of clergy suspected of preying on minors.
Brignac posted a $40,000 bond for his release from jail shortly after his arrest in September. On Thursday, Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Karen Herman issued a warrant calling for Brignac to be rearrested and to be held without bail pending a hearing once the case is assigned to a presiding judge.
District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office requested that the bail be increased to $1 million.
Assistant District Attorney Alicia Bennette said in court Thursday that grand jurors, in secret proceedings, had heard from several witnesses who were prepared to testify that the former deacon assaulted them when they were children. She argued that Brignac is a "tremendous" flight risk because he faces mandatory life imprisonment if convicted of first-degree rape.
Victims' advocates issued a statement Thursday thanking prosecutors.
"Today is a long-awaited day of justice," Kevin Bourgeois, director of the New Orleans chapter of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said in a statem...
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director