Archdiocese denies sex claims in latest historical lawsuit involving late priest
Free Press - September 23, 2025
Somerset, MB - The Archdiocese of St. Boniface has denied a man’s claims he was sexually abused by one of its priests in rural Manitoba decades ago.
The man, who’s in his late 60s, claimed in a lawsuit filed in the Court of King’s Bench earlier this year that he was sexually abused by now-deceased Catholic priest Rene Touchette in the village of Somerset, about 150 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg.
In a statement of defence filed in late July, the archdiocese argued the lawsuit should be tossed out — and that the man has provided no proof of the alleged abuse.
CTV News (Montreal) - September 13, 2026 Montreal, QC - Former Montreal priest Brian Boucher’s statutory release has been revoked following allegations he viewed child sexual abuse material on public transit. The Parole Board imposed stricter conditions for any future release. Boucher remains detained on new charges and is due back in court in November.
The Canadian Press - September 8, 2026 Montreal, QC - Former Montreal priest Brian Boucher, 64, will remain in custody until his next court appearance on Nov. 23, 2026, after waiving his right to a bail hearing on new charges involving child sexual abuse material. Boucher was previously sentenced to eight years in prison in 2019 for sexually assaulting two boys and was released into the community in 2024. He was stripped of his priesthood in 2020.