Gauthier: Andre Guathier

Andre Gauthier

Andre Gauther alleges he was sexually abused by Roman Catholic priest Father Francois Lefebvre. His affidavit as a member of the Victims Group at the Cornwall Public Inquiry follows.

Affidavit for standing at Cornwall Public Inquiry

IN THE MATTER OF THE PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO THE EVENTS
SURROUNDING THE ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE OF YOUNG
PEOPLE IN CORNWALL, ONTARIO

AND

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR STANDING AND
FUNDING FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE ABUSE

AFFIDAVIT OF ANDRE GAUTHIER

I, ANDRE GAUTHIER, of the City of Cornwall, in the United County of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry, in the Province of Ontario,

MAKE OATH AND SAY AS FOLLOWS:

1. I am one of the group of victims (hereinafter referred to as “Victims Group”) who was sexually abused in the Cornwall area.

2. In 1955, at the age of ten, I was sexually abused by Father Francois Lefevbre. This abuse continued for twenty (20) years.

3. The Victims Group seeks standing at this Inquiry to ensure that the perspective of the Victims Group is brought before the Inquiry.

4. As a victim of sexual abuse, my perspectives include the following:

a. When other victims reported their abuse to the authorities, saw how they were treated and this led to my distrust in the system.

b. Had I received earlier intervention in trying to cope with the effects of my abuse, my life would have been very different. My feelings of guilt and shame may have been minimized.

Impact of the Abuse

5. I was raised in a family of devout Catholics. However, as a result of this sexual abuse, I have had a total loss of my Catholic faith and my belief in the existence of God.

6, My childhood became one that was filled with fear, guilt, shame and confusion.

7. My poor coping mechanisms resulted in my inability to concentrate and led to poor performance at school.

8. I have needed time off work to deal with the emotional trauma that I have experienced. As a result, I have had difficulties maintaining gainful employment and am in debt as I struggle to financially support my family.

9. I have had to deal with overwhelming feeling of depression and have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

10. Since the abuse and the failure of any form of institutional response, I have lost trust in authority figures and institutions. I have developed problems in maintaining normal intimate relationships with my spouse and I have become a distant father to my children.

Failings of the Institutional Response

11. I verily believe that other victims of sexual abuse were poorly treated by the Courts when their cases came to trial and, as such, this has greatly discouraged me. I believe that these victims were called liars by those in authority. I have lost complete faith in the judicial system.

12. I believe that further details of my first hand experience as a victim dealing with the Cornwall police and justice system, which is the focus of Part I of this Inquiry, would be beneficial information for the Inquiry. I believe that my experiences and those of other victims must be canvassed by the Inquiry in order for it to fulfill its mandate.

13. My detailed experiences dealing with the police and justice institutions could be obtained by my testimony or the provision of a summary of my experiences. The provision of either would be most 3
effective if counsel were provided to me as it would be to other victims.

Clinical Support
14. I am currently receiving limited psychological help in dealing with the abuse that I endured at the hands of Father Lefevbre.

15. I am not satisfied with the level of support that I am currently receiving. I verily believe that victims of sexual abuse who struggle to deal with issues of trust should be able to seek individual counselling with qualified counsellors of their choosing.

16. I verily believe that I will continue to require psychological support and counselling to help me deal with the emotional trauma I have suffered as a result of the abuse.
Standing

17. As a first hand victim of sexual abuse, I verily believe that it is crucial that my perspective be brought before the Inquiry.

Therefore, I have a direct interest in the outcome of this Inquiry and, as part of the Victims Group, have a substantial interest in ensuring the objectives of this Inquiry are met.

18. I further understand that I have the potential for a civil action or application for criminal injuries compensation and that those legal rights may be impacted by my participation within the Inquiry.

Accordingly, I believe that I need access to legal counsel, as do other victims like me, in order to fairly participate without detrimental impact upon my civil and administrative remedies.

19. Having personally experienced the depths of the impact of sexual abuse and the related institutional failings, I, like other victims have the greatest motivation to see the system corrected and improved.

20. I strongly believe that there is no greater advocate for systematic improvement of the treatment, handling, and prosecution of sexual abuse cases than the victims themselves.
Funding

21. One of the devastating effects of my sexual abuse has been my inability to maintain gainful employment. I am currently receiving benefits from Canada Pension Plan in the monthly amount of $513.00 and collecting a pension in the monthly amount of $1,680.00. These are my only sources of income. Therefore, in order to participate and be adequately represented at the Cornwall Inquiry I require that Ledroit Beckett, as my counsel of choice, receive funding to represent my interests without which I would otherwise be unable to participate in the Inquiry.

SWORN BEFORE ME at the City of Cornwall, in the United County of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry, this 18th day of October 2005

A Commissioner, etc.