Six decades later, local victim of notorious predatory priest gets some justice — and peace
SooToday - September 10, 2024
The earliest known victim of Father Robert Whyte, who taught at St. Mary's College in the 1950s, has settled a lawsuit against the Catholic order that operated the school. Now in his late-70s, the man hopes to help others by sharing his story of abuse and healing.
About 10 years ago — decades after the abuse — Phil found out about the criminal trial and Whyte's 2014 death through an internet search. Two years ago, he began pursuing a civil case against the Basilian Fathers of Toronto.
Bishop Accountability - December 23, 2025 Brampton, ON - A Catholic priest in Brampton, Ont., has been charged with sexual offences and removed from the ministry, the Archdiocese of Toronto says. It says the man is accused of one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference, an offence that applies when the victim is under 16 years old. It says the decision to remove the man from the pastoral ministry was made in accordance with its protocols and procedures relating to allegations of misconduct.
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.