Lawsuit Alleges Sexual Abuse by Kingsville Priest Led to Lifelong Trauma
A Windsor-area woman is suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of London, alleging that a Kingsville priest sexually abused her more than four decades ago when she was six years old. Her lawyer believes there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward.
The woman, identified in court documents as J.A.B.H. and using the pseudonym Jackie, filed the civil suit after suffering in silence for decades. She passed a polygraph test ordered by her legal team last week. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
“I’m having anxiety episodes and depression episodes,” said Jackie, now 53. “And everywhere in the media, you’re seeing sexual assault after sexual assault. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I needed to find somebody to talk to, and I needed to have a way to get rid of these feelings, because they just kept coming back.”
Jackie is seeking nearly $3 million in damages. The Roman Catholic Diocese of London did not respond to a request for comment. The diocese has faced numerous other lawsuits over priest sexual abuse going back decades, including cases that previous church leaders covered up.
According to the lawsuit and Jackie’s statements during the polygraph test, the abuse occurred during the 1979-1980 school year when she was in Grade 1 at St. John de Brebeuf Catholic School, next door to the church. The priest, Rev. L.C. “Mike” Langan, allegedly assaulted her in the rectory of St. John de Brebeuf and Companions.
Langan died on Dec. 19, 2005. He also served at several other parishes, including Our Lady of Guadalupe in Windsor, St. Joseph’s parish in London, Holy Angels in St. Thomas, Immaculate Conception in London, St. Mary Parish in Tillsonburg, and St. Ursula in Chatham.
Jackie recounted being called out of class to collect a prize at the rectory across the street. She said the priest was waiting at the door, wearing a robe or cloak.
“He was waiting and pretty quickly ushered me up the stairs behind him,” said Jackie. “The one visual, it can wreck your day in an instant, is watching his naked ankles walk up the stairs in front of you. That, for some reason, is always in the back of my mind every time I’m walking up the stairs.”
Jackie is not using her real name on the advice of her London-based lawyer, Rob Talach, who said he does not want other victims to worry about their names being publicized if they come forward.
“We think there are other victims out there,” said Talach. “But there’s also the potential there’s a former school administrator or retired detective or someone else that might have been part of that reporting that this will stand out to.”
