Dejaeger won’t face judge until March 21

Eric Dejaeger will make his first appearance before a judge March 21 in Iqaluit.

The Catholic priest, who faces a series of sex abuse charges dating to the late 1970s in Igloolik, was to have faced a show-cause hearing in an Iqaluit courtroom Feb. 11.

But that hearing was delayed until March 21 because lawyers in Iqaluit are still waiting for a report from Belgian police.

Dejaeger fled to Belgium after 1995, after serving time for sexually abusing minors in Baker Lake. He’d been wanted by Interpol since 2001.

Dejaeger’s lawyer, Andy Mahar, told a justice of the peace that he and the Crown are growing weary of the delay.

“Both of us are awaiting information from Belgium and both of us are getting quite frustrated,” Mahar said.

Mahar told court that he and the Crown have agreed to waive a show-cause hearing for the time being, but reserve the right to hold one in the future.

On Feb. 9, prosecutor Paul Bychok said the Crown added a new charge against Dejaeger, one count of indecent assault against a female.

Dejaeger now faces a total of nine counts of indecent assault and one charge stemming from his failure to appear for a 1995 court date.