16 Feb 10: Retired Chaplain General Charged For 1972 Incidents

[Nfld Sapper]

News Room
Retired Chaplain General Charged For Incidents In 1972
CFNIS NR – 2010-02 - February 16, 2010

BORDEN, Ont. – Today, the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS), the investigative arm of the Canadian Forces Military Police, charged a former Chaplain General of the Canadian Forces (CF) in the civilian criminal justice system for incidents at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden in 1972.

Retired Brigadier-general Roger Bazin is charged with one count of “buggery” contrary to Section 155 of the 1972 Criminal Code of Canada (CCC), one count of indecent assault on a male contrary to Section 156 of the 1972 CCC, and one count of an act of gross indecency contrary to Section 157 of the 1972 CCC. At the time of the incidents, the accused held the rank of captain.

The accused was a military chaplain during his CF career and was the Chaplain General, the head of the military chaplaincy, from 1992 to 1995.

“The Military Police consider this to be a serious matter and will thoroughly investigate any such allegations related to CF members, DND employees or Defence establishments,” said Colonel Tim Grubb, Canadian Forces Provost Marshal. “These types of alleged acts, if proven, are illegal and represent unacceptable conduct.”

The CFNIS is an independent Military Police unit with a mandate to investigate serious and sensitive matters in relation to National Defence property, DND employees and CF personnel serving in Canada and abroad.

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For more information about the CFNIS, please go to http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=2824

For more information about the CFNIS Investigation Process, please go to http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=2960

For more information about the Canadian Forces Chaplain Branch, please go to
http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03&id=2730

 

[OldSolduer]

Interesting. I would reckon that there are more victims out there IF these allegations are true.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Statement by the Chaplain General Regarding the Arrest of former Chaplain General Roger Bazin
February 16, 2010

OTTAWA – The Chaplain General, Brigadier-General David Kettle, issued the following statement today:

“I am aware of charges brought against retired Brigadier-general Roger Bazin, former Chaplain General, for what was then the Roman Catholic Chaplain Branch of the Canadian Forces. As the present Chaplain General, I was shocked by these allegations. I take very seriously the charges laid against a former Chaplain General for alleged actions committed while serving as a unit chaplain in 1972.

I will not comment on the charges as they are being dealt with by the criminal justice system, but I am certain that I speak for all Chaplains when I say that my heart goes out to the victims of such crimes, and their families.

The chaplains of the Canadian Forces undergo a thorough endorsement and selection process by their faith groups before joining Canada’s military. The Interfaith Committee of Canadian Military Chaplaincy (ICCMC) has among its responsibilities to recommend a nomination in the selection of Chaplains General, and is committed to ensuring that chaplains in the Canadian Forces uphold, for the welfare of all, the highest moral standard as dictated in the Code of Ethics for Chaplains.

The Chaplain Services remain committed to supporting and enhancing the effectiveness of the CF, their leadership, the men and women who serve and their families, through the provision of comprehensive religious and spiritual support, advice and care.

This office will cooperate with all parties involved in the investigation, including the Military Police and the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of Canada.”

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[Ammo]

Former military chaplain Roger Bazin in court on sex charges
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/former-military-chaplain-roger-bazin-in-court-on-sex-charges-92303059.html
BARRIE, Ont. - A former chief Roman Catholic chaplain of the Canadian Forces is due in court today to sex-related charges, including "buggery" and indecent assault on a male.

The charges against Roger Bazin, a priest and retired brigadier general, stem from his time as padre at CFB Borden, north of Toronto, in 1972. Bazin was a captain at the time of the alleged incidents and was later promoted and served as Catholic chaplain general of the Forces from 1992 to 1995.

He is charged under the 1972 Criminal Code, the statute in effect at the time of the offences, hence the now-discarded charge of "buggery."

Brig.-Gen. David Kettle is the current chaplain general of the Forces.

He said at the time the charges were announced that he was shocked by the allegations.

"I take very seriously the charges laid against a former chaplain general for alleged actions committed while serving as a unit chaplain in 1972,"' he said in a statement.

"I am certain that I speak for all chaplains when I say that my heart goes out to the victims of such crimes, and their families."

 

[The Bread Guy]

Found this during some thread clean-up, and bumped with "latest" (a year old, but not shared here yet):

Sex charges against a former top military chaplain who worked out of CFB Borden have been dropped by the Crown in Barrie court.

Roger Bazin, a retired Roman Catholic chaplain-general, was arrested in Barrie on Feb. 15, 2010 and charged with buggery, gross indecency and indecent assault on an underaged male.

He was arrested by military police following an investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service.

The allegations were made against Bazin by a male who claimed the assaults were made by Bazin in 1972, while on base at CFB Borden, west of Barrie.

Any other details surrounding the alleged incident and details of the alleged victim remain undisclosed.

"I'm asking that the charges be withdrawn," said Crown attorney Michael Minns before Justice of the Peace Ann Forfar. Minns told the court earlier this month the decision to withdraw the charges came after careful consideration.

"Following the laying of these charges by the military police, what ensued was a direct, a detailed and thorough review of the available evidence in this case by members of the Crown Attorney's office," said Minns. "The conclusion ultimately reached was that there did not exist a reasonable prospect of conviction." ....

Barrie Examiner, January 2010

 

[brihard]

The part of me that takes an interest in criminal law is really curious about what the rationale ended up being... The alleged criminal code sections are broad enough to encompass some things that remain a crime today and some that don't.  I'm curious whether it got dropped because ultimately the offences wouldn't be something indictable today, or for simple lack of solid evidence.

An ugly situation, anyway- and I'll happily have my academic curiosity unsated if it means that an ugly affair has not been dragged out further.