The leader of the Inuit delegation, who met in person with Pope Francis on Monday, demanded that the pope personally intervene in the case of an Oblate priest accused of sexually assaulting children in Nunavut. Natan Obed, president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), named Father Johannes Rivoire in his discussion with the Pope, according to remarks prepared for the meeting. Rivoir was never tried in Canada because he returned to France, which does not extradite French nationals. “I would ask you, in your capacity as head of the Catholic Church, to speak with Johannes Rivoire and refer him back to Canada to stand trial for the damage he has done,” Obed told the pope. “I understand that this action may not be successful, for many reasons. In this case, I will ask you to use your influence with the competent authorities in France to extradite Rivoir to Canada or to try him in France.” Ahead of the meeting, Obed told CBC News that of all the requests he planned to make – including a papal apology for boarding schools, calling on the church to pay compensation to survivors and disclosing all school documents – may have a greater impact. “We would like to see these victims have an impression of justice and the families of the dead also see some level of accountability,” he said. Obed said he believed Pope Francis could play a personal role in administering justice. “If he takes the time to tell Father Rivoir to go to Canada, then maybe that would be successful in a way that no other body could,” Obed said. “He has a unique position right now to help the Inuit and I hope he chooses to do so.”

“The cost of inaction”

Rivoire spent time in many Nunavut communities starting in the 1960s, but returned to France in 1993. The RCMP issued an arrest warrant for Rivoire in 1998. In a 2017 assessment, the Canadian Attorney’s Office found that “there was no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction on the charges” and that “continuing the prosecution was no longer in the public interest”. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Nathan Obed, who heads the national body representing the Inuit, said he believed Pope Francis could play a personal role in bringing justice to the Rivoire victims. (Gregorio Borgia / AP)
The Rivoire arrest warrant was canceled in 2018 after the decision to keep the charges. The fact that France does not extradite its citizens seems to have been a key factor in the decision.
Last year, Justice Minister David Lametti said he could not reinstate the charges, but said “there is always the possibility of further evidence being provided by other complainants or other witnesses.” Obed told CBC News he had spoken to Lametti’s office, which said it was committed to supporting any possible way for Rivoire to stand trial. “There is a cost to inaction,” Obed said. Support is available to anyone affected by their home school experience or recent reports. A national crisis line has been set up for residential schools in India to provide support to alumni and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour National Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419