Child Porn Bishop Walks Free
January 5, 2012 No Comments
The bishop convicted after being found with hundreds of images and videos of child pornography has walked free from an Ottawa court.
Raymond Lahey was sentenced to time served and probation. Evidence used against him in court included 588 photographs and 63 videos.
Brian Joseph Dunn, the Bishop of Antigonish, a post formerly held by Lahey, said;
- This entire matter has caused a great deal of hurt, disappointment and anger within and outside of our Diocese. Church leaders are called to provide good example and to show moral integrity in their lives. When they commit serious moral failures, this can have a significant impact on the faith community. This is especially so when it involves the crime of child pornography.
Bishop Dunn did not mention the harm done to the children abused by Lahey and by child pornographers across the world. Nor did he, or senior church hierarchy, outline any concrete plans to improve the safety of children.
This, surely, is of more concern than the impact on a community’s faith in its leader.
Lacking a direct apology to the people most impacted by sexual abuse, Dunn’s statement is useless. As is the continued lax reaction from religious leaders to sexual abuse.
Contact the author here: miriam@morningquickie.com
