'It's not who I am now': Sexual abuse victim of former Nunavut priest speaks out

WARNING: This article contains graphic content and details of sexual abuse of children, and may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

Last week's guilty plea from a former Catholic priest who sexually abused children in Nunavut has prompted one of his earlier victims to speak up. 

A woman, who CBC is calling Tammy, was six years old when Dejaeger started abusing her. 

Tammy's identity is protected under a publication ban. 

Dejaeger's victims spoke in court last week as the now 77-year-old faced a new set of historical abuse charges, which he pleaded guilty to. 

"I'm very proud of these people," Tammy said. "It defined me for a long time and it's not who I am now."

He was previously sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2015 after a court found him guilty of 32 counts of child sexual abuse during his time as a priest in Igloolik. He was released on parole in May 2022.

Tammy, who is Indigenous and lives in Edmonton, was part of another case against Dejaeger in 2015, where Dejaeger also pleaded guilty.

She said she first met Dejaeger while he was training to become a priest at a chapel at the Charles Camsell Indian Hospital in Edmonton.

"I would hide in the parks. I didn't want to go because I knew what was going to happen," she said. 

The abuse went on for three years, she said. 

"Honest to goodness, I can say that I am moving forward and it's been on the back burner. It's breaking my heart to see that he's still going up on charges and I'm sure there's going to be more coming."

She didn't tell anyone about the abuse until she was 18. She said Dejaeger told her she would go to hell if she told anyone what had happened. 

Tammy said her husband and family stood by her side as her case went through court. For her, that made all the difference. 

"I was able to make it through. Many times, I didn't ... I didn't think very well," she said. "It's absolute hell and I definitely understand what these ones are going through."

Call for Catholic Church to be held accountable 

Tammy said it wasn't the criminal case that brought her the the most closure. She and her lawyer, Robert Talach, successfully sued the Oblates and the Catholic Church over Tammy's abuse, though Talach said the amount Tammy received is not public information.

"It still stayed with me because [there was] something else I needed to do, and I continued with it," she said. 

She's encouraging Dejaeger's other victims to do the same. 

"They shouldn't be done here. They need to push forward now with the lawsuit. because the church is fully responsible for him," she said. 

"The gratification of it is so much better. I am able to breathe."

Talach said he also hopes Dejaeger's victims take similar action. 

"There has to be accountability for this type of behaviour from an institution. So really, the civil courts are the only mechanism right now."

He said a lawsuit is one avenue for deterrence.

"There's a price tag. So I think it's accountability and deterrence and, of course, those two ingredients mixed together give us some meagre amount of justice," Talach said. 

Dejaeger is expected to be sentenced in Iqaluit on Thursday. Lawyers have recommended a sentence of six years. 

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. ​​If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.

If you or someone you know in Nunavut is struggling, the following resources may help:

• Kamatsiaqtut Nunavut Help Line (available 24 hours a day): 979-3333 in Iqaluit, or 1-800-265-3333
• Healing by Talking counselling program: 1-888-648-0070
• Government of Nunavut Employee/Family Assistance Program: 1-800-663-1142
• Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Katujjiqatigiit (Embrace Life Council): 1-866-804-2782
• Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310
• Victim's Services: 1-866-456-5216