Catholic priest, 68 jailed for 4 years in assaults

on boys
(CP) . Toronto Star ; Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]19 Jan 1990: E12.

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ABSTRACT (ABSTRACT)
Rev. Robert Whyte, 68, pleaded guilty in Provincial Court last week to 18 counts of indecent assault and one count
of attempted indecent assault.

Eleven of the charges resulted from incidents in Calgary while Whyte was a parish priest at St. Pius Catholic
Church and a teacher at two high schools. The other offences took place in Radium, B.C.

Whyte is a member of the order of Basilian Fathers. Evidence in court indicated the church was aware of Whyte's
problem but did not do anything other than to send him for treatment in Toronto for five months in 1977.

FULL TEXT
CALGARY (CP) - A Roman Catholic priest who admitted to indecently assaulting boys over a 20-year period
clutched his Bible yesterday as he was led away to start serving a four-year prison sentence.

Rev. Robert Whyte, 68, pleaded guilty in Provincial Court last week to 18 counts of indecent assault and one count
of attempted indecent assault.

Eleven of the charges resulted from incidents in Calgary while Whyte was a parish priest at St. Pius Catholic
Church and a teacher at two high schools. The other offences took place in Radium, B.C.

Judge T.B. McMeekin said Whyte used the good will of parishioners and students to help him prey on young boys.

"It would certainly appear that he was well regarded . . . and in certain quarters a much-beloved priest," the judge
said. "But it is clear that he used this good will to assist him in preying on the victims. "

The incidents - which occurred between 1962 and 1982 - involved boys between 11 and 17 who were altar boys,
church members or Whyte's students.

Whyte is a member of the order of Basilian Fathers. Evidence in court indicated the church was aware of Whyte's
problem but did not do anything other than to send him for treatment in Toronto for five months in 1977.

Whyte's conviction comes at a time when an inquiry has been investigating claims of physical and sexual abuse at
the Mount Cashel orphanage in Newfoundland.

Evidence shows some members of the Christian Brothers running the home made deals with police to suppress
charges against several members of the Roman Catholic lay order in the 1970s.

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Court was told Whyte would befriend a boy's family and at some point ask him on an overnight excursion to British
Columbia or to sleep over at the rectory. He usually made sure the two slept in the same bed. He would then fondle
the boy's genitals.

DETAILS

People: Whyte, Robert

Publication title: Toronto Star; Toronto, Ont.

Pages: E12

Number of pages: 0

Publication year: 1990

Publication date: Jan 19, 1990

Dateline: CALGARY

Section: NEWS

Publisher: Torstar Syndication Services, a Division of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited

Place of publication: Toronto, Ont.

Country of publication: Canada, Toronto, Ont.

Publication subject: General Interest Periodicals--Canada

ISSN: 03190781

Source type: Newspapers

Language of publication: English

Document type: NEWSPAPER

ProQuest document ID: 436115437

Document URL: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.torontopubliclibrary.ca/docview/436115437?ac

countid=14369

Copyright: Copyright 1990 Toronto Star, All Rights Reserved.

Last updated: 2017-11-15

Database: Canadian Newsstream

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