Remains of Jesuit priest removed from Kahnawake church grounds
The remains of a priest who allegedly sexually abused Indigenous children in Quebec was exhumed Wednesday morning.
"We never agreed to have him buried here in the first place," said community member Kahnekaken:re Lahache. "We have our native women who were not allowed to be buried here because they married out, but they let the priest be buried here. They actually begged for him to be buried here, which wasn't right."
Jesuit priest Father Leon Lajoie was buried on the grounds of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Kahnawake in 1999.
After allegations of sexual assault surfaced last year, the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) community on Montreal's South Shore was invited to vote on what to do with his remains.
It was an issue that divided many community members and exhumation "was an idea proposed by community members, alleged victims and supporters," according to Tonya Perron, one of the Mohawk Council's elected chiefs.
His remains will be moved to a Jesuit cemetery in Saint-Jérôme, Que.
In response to the allegations, the Jesuits of Canada stated: "We found no correspondence that contained complaints of boundary violations or abuse during his long career as a Jesuit priest. We treat all allegations of sexual or other abuse with the utmost seriousness and concern."
The group hired independent firm King International Advisory Group to investigate the allegations.
In its final report, the group said it managed to identified three victims, but noting that "as many as 20 individuals came forward to members of a community protest group that formed following the May 2021 Kamloops discovery [of a mass grave]."
Two alleged victims participated in the investigation, while the others have not come forward, “nor have they been identified if they exist.”
The conclusion: the investigation did not "support any allegation of childhood sexual abuse by Father Leon Lajoie."
Nevertheless, Melissa Montour, spokesperson for the group that demanded Lajoie's exhumation, argues allegations of sexual abuse against the priest were well known in the community.
"It's trauma," she said. "These things are triggers to the dark, unspoken history across this country."
Lajoie was assigned to Kahnawake from 1961 to 1996.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.