'Cold reality of the law': French officials say they can't extradite priest to Canada over abuse charges - Action News
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'Cold reality of the law': French officials say they can't extradite priest to Canada over abuse charges

The French government can't extradite retired priest and alleged abuser Johannes Rivoire to Canada to face criminal charges, because it would violate their constitution to do so, Belgian advocate Lieve Halsberghe told reporters Tuesday.

Extradition would be unconstitutional, French officials tell Inuit delegation

A group of people with cameras and microphones stand waiting.
Reporters gather outside the Justice Ministry in Paris on Tuesday to interview Inuit delegates from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in between meetings with French officials about the extradition of Johannes Rivoire. (Kate Kyle/CBC)

As the Inuit delegation from Nunavut navigated meetings with French officials in Paris on Tuesday, they came up against what one human rights advocate called the "cold reality of the law."

The French government can't extradite ex-priest and alleged abuser Johannes Rivoire to Canada to face criminal charges, because it would violate its constitution to do so, Belgian advocate Lieve Halsberghe told reporters Tuesday.

The delegation from Nunavut TunngavikInc. is in Paris all this week in an effort to drum up public and political support in France for Rivoire's extradition.

Halsberghe, who is helping the delegates from Nunavut Tunngavik, described a difficult morning of meetings that dashed many of the delegates' hopes to see the man they've accused of abusing them face justice.

"I found it [an] extremely hard meeting, to be faced with this reality this cold reality of the law," Halsberghe said.

"I'm very disappointed. But I'm also very grateful, because this whole delegation my friends they've shown so much courage to come here and do this."

Lieve Halsberghe, pictured here in 2013, has been helping the delegation from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in their calls to have ex-priest Johannes Rivoire returned to Canada to face charges of sexual abuse.

Delegates met with three government officials, though not with France's justice minister.

Halsberghe said they were told during that meeting that not only is France unable to legally extradite Rivoire, but the country can't try him on Canada's behalf either.

That's because they would have to apply French law to the charges, and in France the statute of limitations would havealready run out.

In an email Tuesday afternoon, Canada's Department of Justice stated it has not yet received a response from France on its request to have Rivoire extradited.

The request was made by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada through Department of Justice officials.

CBC Nunavut reporter Teresa Qiatsuq reports live from Paris

2 years ago
Duration 2:25
Inuit leaders met with French officials in Paris to press for the extradition of ex-priest, Johannes Rivoire, who is facing charges of abuse in Nunavut. CBC Nunavut's Teresa Qiatsuq met afterwards with Nunavut Tunngavik's Aluki Kotierk, who said she is frustrated at the lack of political will in France to send this man to justice.

Aluki Kotierk, the president of Nunavut Tunngavik, said the meeting was "very frustrating" and delegates were trying to ground themselves and prepare for their next meeting.

"Although the common line was that France does not extradite French nationals, there were words that expressed how much they understood our plight," Kotierk said.

"But, ultimately, it was clear that there is no political will to extradite French nationals."

A portrait of a woman.
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Aluki Kotierk is in Paris pushing for Johannes Rivoires extradition to Canada. (Juanita Taylor/CBC)

Rivoire worked in many Nunavut communities in the 1960s and 1970s, but returned to France in the early 1990s before he could be tried on abuse charges.

Whilesome chargesagainst him were stayed in 2017, the RCMPconfirmed in Marchthat more charges have been laid and they had issued a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.

In an interview with APTN in July, Rivoiredenied all charges.

With files from Kate Kyle, Juanita Taylor and Teresa Qiatsuq