Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-04-21, Page 7THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2011. PAGE 7. Shocking news reached the village this weekend as the details surrounding a scandal involving the Diocese of London and a former resident began to unfold. News articles regarding the history of Gabriele DelBianco and his current legal battles can be found in many larger centre newspapers and the Diocese has published a letter on its website in response to the recent allegations against DelBianco and the criminal charges that have been laid against him. DelBianco is currently being sued by six women who allege that he sexually assaulted them while he was a priest in the Wallaceburg area during a period from 1983 to 1986. A seventh woman is reported to have recently settled her lawsuit, the details of which are not being released. The Lambton County OPP filed three charges of sexual assault against DelBianco on Friday, April 15, 2011 which prompted the news report. While claims against DelBianco have been filed and there have been charges laid in three of the cases, no court case has taken place and DelBianco has not been found guilty of anything. The former priest was ordained in 1982 and served with the Diocese until 1996. The Diocese learned of the “improper conduct” in 1994 and DelBianco was “sent for evaluation” at that time. He later decided to leave the priesthood in 1996, when he moved to Auburn and began providing counselling services. “We are sorry for all of the hurt [to] these and other victims. We are committed to living up to our responsibilities and obligations to victims of sexual misconduct in the search for justice and truth,” reads a statement from the Diocese of London. “The victims who have come forward are making a difference and we thank them for doing so. We offer counselling to all victims of sexual misconduct by clergy. We continue to work toward prevention of misconduct in the Diocese of London.” London lawyer Rob Dale, who is representing the women, says that he anticipates more victims will come forward now that the lawsuits have been made public. Dale said in The Windsor Star that according to the lawsuits the priest identified pre-adolescent girls who were troubled or vulnerable and then befriended them by giving them small gifts or toys to make them feel special. The relationships then escalated, Dale said, as the priest took them out for ice cream and pizza and grew close to the families involved. The relationships escalated even further, leading to the priest, who was in his mid-20s at the time, inviting the girls back to his room at the rectory and taking the girls on overnight stays at cottages. Dale said that the victims have suffered a lifetime of emotional and psychological problems. The Auburn Playground Committee has made the first cut in the most recent round of Trillium Grant applications and it now has the support of Central Huron Council to the tune of $5,000. The application, which was submitted earlier this year, is requesting funding for new playground equipment in Auburn, as the current equipment has become quite tired and it is not fully accessible. A meeting was held with the applicants and members of the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s local Grant Review Team in Clinton to further discuss the application. Until the April 11 council meeting, council had not donated anything to the committee, with the exception of an in-kind donation of the clean-up costs for the old equipment. A motion, however, was made by Councillor Alex Westerhout that a donation be made in the amount of $5,000. Further to Westerhout’s motion, he also added that with the donation, Central Huron could encourage Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh and North Huron Councils to consider similar donations. Westerhout’s motion was approved and the money will be paid out of the municipality’s Parkland Obligatory Fund. There was some discussion of matching funds with a project that received municipal funding several years ago in Holmesville. Councillor Alison Lobb said that she wanted to know what was donated to Holmesville before approving any donation to the Auburn project. Central Huron director of finance Terri Taylor attempted to find the donation that Lobb spoke of, but was unable to find exact figures. There was some confusion as to what project Lobb and several other councillors were thinking of, but the only donation that could be found was a donation in 2008 of $1,800. While Taylor spent several minutes searching for the answer to Lobb’s question, Westerhout said that there would be no sense in waiting and that he was prepared to make a motion that council donate $5,000 to the project. There were other councillors who weren’t as worried about matching funds as others, as a recent project in Holmesville received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, but has allegedly neglected to perform the standard follow-up duties when a grant is approved (acknowledgment must be made and a plaque must be posted at the site). There had been discussion at several council meetings that an earlier grant request from the Auburn Playground Committee (for a Hydro One grant) had been denied, in part, due to the non-compliance of another Central Huron site. “Instead of waiting, I think we should show some leadership on this,” Westerhout said. He added that North Huron and Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh should be asked to match the funds, whether it be $5,000 each or $5,000 between the two municipalities. Former resident charged inLondon Diocese sex scandal $5,000 to playground committee Annual yard sale coming A century in the making Daryl Ball, left, presented Mary Ellen Foran and her son Scott Jefferson with a sign to commemorate the Century Farm designation. The presentation was made on April 6 at the Auburn United Church’s annual country supper. (Photo submitted) Two Bedroom Condos For Rent Including: • 1080 Sq. Feet Of Living Space • Single Car Garage • All Utilities • Snow Removal and Lawn Care • Oak Kitchens • Sliding Doors to Private Patio • Open Concept Two Bedroom Condos For Rent Including: • 1080 Sq. Feet Of Living Space • Single Car Garage • All Utilities • Snow Removal and Lawn Care • Oak Kitchens • Sliding Doors to Private Patio • Open Concept For more information please call 519-291-0232 or visit our website: www.legacylanehomes.com For more information please call 519-291-0232 or visit our website: www.legacylanehomes.com Model Units Open Weekdays 250 Gypsy Lane, Blyth By Koreen Moss 519-526-1060 kandkmoss@ sympatico.ca PEOPLE AROUND AUBURN NEWS FROM AUBURN By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The Auburn Yard Sale is fast approaching on May 7. With fingers crossed for better weather this year, the village is preparing for a busy day with large numbers of people attending the village for great deals and good food. The Auburn Lions will be providing a delicious breakfast that morning at the Auburn Hall. Keep an eye out for the “Little Bake Sale” table that will be manned by some of the children in the village. Proceeds from the bake sale will go toward the playground fund. Another date to keep in mind will be Saturday, May 14. The Auburn Playground Committee will be hosting a “Spring Fling” at the Auburn Hall from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The dance will be for families with children 12 and under and will have a “junior prom” theme. Admission is $10 per family. Put on your best dress (or whatever your best might be) and join the Committee for another “fun”draiser for a great cause. The Auburn Horticultural Society hosted a meeting with guest speaker Continued on page 18