372:, and physically and sexually abused young Indigenous girls at St. Joseph's Mission. Testimonies revealed that O'Connor also entered into sexual relationships with female staff at St. Joseph's who were in their teens and early 20s. O'Connor targeted the all-female bagpipe and dance band in particular because of their frequent field trips across British Columbia and Canada that left them isolated with O'Connor. One woman testified that during these trips, O'Connor would "crawl into girls' bunks and start kissing them". Incidents such as these led to O'Connor fathering at least one child, who was placed for adoption to avoid public scandal.
439:(formerly known as Alkali Lake Band). During the healing circle, O'Connor formally apologized to his victims. The victims later reported a sense of closure they had not found in the prior trials. The Crown, having considered the impact of O'Connor's apology and the extent to which the trials had retraumatized his victims, decided to drop the remaining rape charge.
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healing circle. The victims said that they had received a sense of closure from the healing circle and the apology that they had not received from the criminal trial process. Based on their comments, the Crown prosecution service entered a stay of proceedings, to avoid revictimising them at another
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had failed to disclose evidence to the defence. After hearing submissions from Crown and defence, the trial judge agreed that the Crown had infringed O'Connor's constitutional right to full disclosure, and entered a stay of proceedings. The Crown appealed from that decision. In 1994, the
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O'Connor on the charge of indecent assault, and ordered a new trial on one count of rape. However, three months later, in June, O'Connor participated in a seven-hour healing circle held at
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O'Connor was tried twice. The first trial resulted in a stay of proceedings on constitutional grounds, but that decision was set aside on appeal and a new trial ordered by the
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O'Connor died in 2007. After his death, a new allegation arose that O'Connor had sexually abused a young boy, now fully grown. Litigation over that issue is still pending.
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and sexual indecency while O'Connor was principal between 1964–1967. O'Connor went on trial in 1992, on four counts of sexual offences. Eight women
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stating that O'Connor sexually assaulted Petruk and other teen boys with fellow priests at St. Joseph's
Mission. The suit remains ongoing.
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388:, but in 1995 the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the British Columbia Court of Appeal and confirmed the order for a new trial, in
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In July 2021, a new sexual assault allegation against the now-deceased O'Connor surfaced. Ronald Wayne Petruk filed a suit with the
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sentenced O'Connor to two-and-a-half years in prison; he served six months of his sentence before being released on $ 1,000
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on 17 February 1928. His parents were
Patrick O'Connor and Stella Walsh and he had several brothers and sisters.
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253:. He was convicted at the second trial on some charges, but the convictions were set aside on appeal by the
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246:. At the time, he was the highest ranking Catholic official in the world to be charged with a sex crime.
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317:. It was during his time at St. Joseph's that O'Connor committed multiple sex crimes against underage
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At the second trial, in 1996, O'Connor was acquitted on two of the charges, but convicted of
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of two young
Indigenous women that occurred at St. Joseph's Residential School. Justice
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unanimously allowed the Crown's appeal and ordered a retrial. O'Connor appealed to the
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from 1986 to 1991 before resigning after being charged with multiple sex crimes.
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At trial, the defence raised a constitutional issue, alleging that the
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O'Connor died suddenly of a heart attack in
Toronto on 24 July 2007.
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from 1961 to 1967. St. Joseph's
Mission was a key component of the
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who was forced to resign his position following charges of multiple
700:"Disgraced Bishop Hubert O'Connor again accused of sexual assault"
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524:"8 Dec 1992, 18 - The Vancouver Sun at Newspapers.com"
477:"Remembering the life of Hubert O'Connor 1928 - 2007"
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On 15 October 1971, O'Connor was appointed Bishop of
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girls and boys and raped multiple
Indigenous women.
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305:. He worked within the church until being sent to
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670:"Sex charges dropped against bishop in Canada"
751:20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Canada
628:, 1998 CanLII 14987, 14 CR (5th) 384 (BC CA).
8:
771:Sexual abuse of women in the Catholic Church
553:"Disgraced B.C. bishop dead of heart attack"
507:, 1992 CanLII 15046, 18 CR (4th) 98 (BC SC).
614:. Canadian Press. 26 July 1996. p. A2.
585:, 1994 CanLII 6415, 29 CR (4th) 40 (BC CA).
238:stemming from his time as principal at the
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240:Saint Joseph's Mission Residential School
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420:In March 1998, the B.C. Court of Appeal
220:(17 February 1928 – 24 July 2007) was a
761:Roman Catholic bishops of Prince George
640:"Bishop O'Connor apologizes to natives"
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350:St. Joseph's Mission Residential School
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19:For the Irish rugby union player, see
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182:Oblates of Mary Immaculate Cemetery,
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766:Roman Catholic bishops of Whitehorse
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16:Canadian Catholic bishop (1928–2007)
348:In 1991, several students from the
332:. He then served as the Bishop of
315:Canadian Residential School System
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781:Prisoners and detainees of Canada
710:from the original on 28 July 2022
680:from the original on 28 July 2022
650:from the original on 28 July 2022
563:from the original on 7 March 2016
356:came forward with allegations of
776:Canadian prisoners and detainees
382:British Columbia Court of Appeal
255:British Columbia Court of Appeal
443:Death and subsequent allegation
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551:Hawthorn, Tom (27 July 2007).
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481:ottawacitizen.remembering.ca
100:John Fergus O'Grady, O.M.I.
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295:Oblates of Mary Immaculate
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364:that O'Connor repeatedly
203:1 (given up for adoption)
184:Mission, British Columbia
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293:on 5 June 1955 with the
386:Supreme Court of Canada
251:Supreme Court of Canada
218:Hubert Patrick O'Connor
344:Sexual assault charges
311:Saint Joseph's Mission
75:Sacred Heart Cathedral
452:Supreme Court of B.C.
273:O'Connor was born in
269:Family and early life
309:as the principal of
120:Bishop of Whitehorse
704:Alaska Highway News
297:after studying in
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706:. 6 July 2021.
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646:. 6 May 1999.
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32:Most Reverend
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712:. Retrieved
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626:R v O'Connor
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612:Toronto Star
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190:Denomination
172:(2007-07-24)
140:Consecration
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741:2007 deaths
736:1928 births
413:pending an
407:Wally Oppal
135:5 June 1955
122:(1971–1986)
97:Predecessor
730:Categories
458:References
326:Whitehorse
319:Indigenous
291:priesthood
236:sex crimes
208:Profession
132:Ordination
89:Term ended
567:5 January
430:Secwepemc
426:Esk'etemc
422:acquitted
417:in 1997.
368:, raped,
362:testified
105:Successor
92:July 1991
84:June 1986
81:Appointed
55:Vancouver
708:Archived
678:Archived
648:Archived
561:Archived
366:molested
287:ordained
225:Catholic
222:Canadian
200:Children
111:, O.M.I.
51:Province
714:27 July
684:27 July
654:27 July
533:28 July
486:28 July
370:coerced
303:Ontario
289:to the
262:trial.
61:Diocese
415:appeal
299:Ottawa
228:bishop
179:Buried
127:Orders
46:Bishop
330:Yukon
40:O.M.I
716:2022
686:2022
656:2022
569:2019
535:2022
488:2022
428:, a
411:bail
401:and
399:rape
167:Died
153:Born
644:CBC
352:in
242:in
230:in
71:See
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