Quebec Catholic dioceses tap ex-judge to investigate alleged cases of sexual abuse

A retired judge will examine 70 years of archives to determine the number and nature of cases of alleged sexual abuse committed against minors in fiveCatholic dioceses in Quebec, including Montreal.

The goal is to collect statistics on the number of allegations that involve both clergy members and staff at theJoliette, Montreal, Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Saint-Jrme and Valleyfield dioceses, according to a news release issued by the Archdiocese of Montreal.

Archbishop Christian Lpinesaid Wednesday that he hopes the process will help restore trust in the church.

"It doesn't answer all the questions, but it's to take measure of the situation how many victims, how many priests were involved,"Lpinesaid. "Then each diocese will see how to move ahead."

Starting in September, former Superior Court justice Anne-Marie Trahan will comb through archives from the1950s onward.

Lpineasked Trahan to conduct the audit, and was inspired by similar initiatives elsewhere in the world, according to the release.

The archdiocese says Trahan will be given all the necessary means to carry out a thorough investigation.

The Quebec Association of Victims of Priests thinks it's an empty gesture.

"This is not an independent audit, this is not an independent inquiry," spokespersonCarlo Tarinisaid.

"This review announced today is obviously for some typeof damage control," he said.

In a statement today, the Archdiocese of Quebec said it will also conduct an audit of its archives. The Quebec archdiocese includes the dioceses ofChicoutimi,Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatire and Trois-Rivires.

The statement said the details ofthe audit are still to be determined.

Thomas Dowd, one of the Montreal archdiocese'sauxiliary bishops, was involved in the planning of the review.

He said the process is about bringing to light cases that may have been kept secretin order to ensure justice is served and to "learn from it so that frankly, we know what to do, and do better, in future cases."

"We want to be able to react accurately if any new complaints come forward, but it's also important to clean out that closet. So if we're going to start fresh, we've got to take a look at our past," he told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

Dowdsaid the case of Brian Boucher, a Montreal priest sentenced on Monday to eight years in prison for sexual assault, compounded Lpine'sdesire to get to the truth.

The audit is expected to last between 18 and 24 months. The final report will be made public.