Eric Dejaeger’s historical sex charges trial adjourned to Tuesday

Legal, translation issues arise on the first day of trial

Ex-Roman Catholic priest Eric Dejaeger enters the Iqaluit courthouse in shackles Monday on the first day of his trial on a new set of historical sex charges. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)

By Arty Sarkisian

Little progress was made on the first day of Eric Dejaeger’s trial on historical sex charges, with legal and translation issues arising that prevented the trial from beginning.

Dejaeger, a 78-year-old former Roman Catholic priest facing historical sex charges from his time as an Oblate priest in Igloolik between 1978 and 1982, appeared in an Iqaluit courtroom Monday with several members of the public present.

He is charged with eight historical indecent assault and sexual assault charges against six victims, according to court documents. He was charged in June 2023 after he was arrested by police in Kingston, Ont., on a Canada-wide warrant.

Dejaeger, 78, faces these charges a decade after he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for numerous sex crimes committed during his time as an Oblate priest in Igloolik between 1978 and 1982. The 32 charges he was convicted of include indecent assault, sexual assault, forcible confinement and bestiality.

On Monday, Crown prosecutor Emma Baasch said there is an issue with the interpretation from Inuktitut of testimony by one witness. Additionally, there is potentially a problem with the arraignment, which is the formal reading of the criminal charges to the accused, she said.

She didn’t specify the nature of the problem.

Dejaeger, a balding grey-haired man in a long-sleeved blue jail shirt, was silent during the proceedings.

He was brought in and out of the courtroom four times as his lawyer, Scott Cowan, and Baasch asked Justice Faiyaz Alibhai for several recesses so they could have one-on-one conversations.

But the the issues were not resolved, Baasch informed the court after the final recess of the day, and the matter was adjourned to Tuesday.

Dejaeger’s trial is scheduled  to last two weeks.

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(1) Comment:

  1. Posted by S on

    Curious that we spend so much to chase these old sexual-assault criminals when there are so many still perpetrating crimes in our Hamlets.

    Also, since all criminals charges are laid for events that occurred in the past, why do we refer to the charges against Dejaeger as ‘historical’? Is this intended to distinguish the currents charges from ones that are pending for future activities?

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