A former Catholic priest who sexually abused children and adults in Igloolik, Nunavut, has been granted parole.
In 2015, Eric Dejaeger, now 75, was sentenced to 19 years in prison after being convicted of 32 counts of sexual abuse. As he was detained before the trial, he had 11 years left to serve.
As APTN first reported, Dejaeger received legal release on May 19.
The Board of Parole of Canada imposed several conditions on his release, including a residency requirement meaning Dejaeger will have to return to a designated facility each night, although the written decision removes the location. She is not allowed around children, cannot have contact with her victims and must follow a treatment plan and report all relationships and friendships with women.
The parole board wrote that without the residency requirement, which Dejaeger opposed, his release plan “is not feasible and does not mitigate [his] Dejaeger, on the other hand, had asked to live with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, but this residence is in front of a park and sometimes has guests carrying their children to spend the night.
The parole board cited a 2018 psychological risk assessment that found Dejaeger had a moderate risk of sexual recidivism and a low or moderate risk of recidivism in general.
The board wrote that Dejaeger “has made limited measurable and observable gains in tackling [his] risk, “but continues to deny responsibility for many of his crimes.
As for demanding that he return to the designated facilities each night, the parole board said that this was due to several factors, including the fact that Dejaeger fled the country while on bail and needs a high. level of supervision.
The crimes for which Dejaeger was convicted in 2015 date back to his time as a priest in Igloolik between 1978 and 1982. He fled to Belgium from Canada in 2002 despite an arrest warrant across Canada, but was expelled from Belgium in 2011 and shipped. back to Canada.
He eventually pleaded guilty to eight counts of sex and, after trial, was convicted of 24 other offenses ranging from assault on modesty to sexual assault and bestiality.
Later in 2015, he was also convicted of sexually abusing children in Alberta.
He was also convicted in 1990 of sexually assaulting children in Baker Lake.