GUILTY Canada - Graham James for child sexual abuse, Winnipeg, 2010

Some of you hear may have followed the sex abuse case of pro hockey player Theoren Fleury who played for the Calgary Flames. Fleury and Sheldon Kennedy, another pro hockey player came forward in recent years to say that their junior hockey coach Graham James molested them. (Fleury's book about the molestation has been on the best-seller list for months.)

James pled guilty and only served three years in prison. Afterwards, he applied for a pardon and got one -- three years ago. The Canadian press just discovered the pardon and the country is in an uproar. The Prime Minister of Canada has asked for an investigation into the Parole Board's decision. Apparently, that country gives out pardons to pedophiles like candy.

The good news however, is that in recent days more victims have come forward to say that they were molested by James, and have gone to the police:

http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/04/06/13487616.html

There was an editorial today about the pardon in the Montreal Gazette by a columnist named Pat Hickey. I found this passage to be critical of Fleury:
But the more pressing question is why James is walking around free these days. Theoren Fleury, the former NHL player who waited more than two decades before he came forward to reveal his abuse at the hands of James, reportedly filed a complaint against him with police in Winnipeg on Jan. 6. You have to wonder why they have yet to file charges against James.

You also have to wonder whether James might have received more than a 42-month sentence if Fleury had joined Sheldon Kennedy in filing the initial charges.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/opin...+misdirected/2766934/story.html#ixzz0kL743XzJ

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I wrote to Hickey to object to what I believed was his accusatory tone towards Fleuron. Here is his response:

"There was indeed an accusatory tone. In the past, I have been critical of Theoren Fleury not because he did not come forward _ I'm well aware of the psychology involving abuse victims _ but because he served as an enabler for Mr. James.
> After having been abused and seeing his teammates abused, he hired James to coach a junior hockey team he owned. I find little admirable in someone who waited until his hockey career was over, used the revelations of sex abuse to sell a book and even then waited for months until public and media pressure forced him to finally file criminal charges.
>Pat
__

To call a victim an enabler is just shocking and appalling to me. I wrote back that Fleuron has helped thousands of victims by speaking out, but of course I did not hear back from the very harsh Mr. Hickey.

Now there's a growing concern in Canada that Graham James may have legally changed his name, according to the Winnipeg Free Press.

Excerpt:

OTTAWA - Ex-convicts, including sex offenders such as former junior hockey coach Graham James, can avoid having their criminal history checked by legally changing their name.

Name changes in Canada are done at the provincial level, and only two provinces, British Columbia and Alberta, currently demand fingerprints when someone applies.

"Absolutely it's a concern," Supt. Chuck Walker, the director of field services for the Mounties' national criminal database, said Tuesday in an interview.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/...s-90043987.html

The good news today is that many more victims of Graham James are expected to come forward in the coming weeks, which could result in new criminal charges... that is, if they can find James. No one seems to know his whereabouts and there are concerns he has changed his name. By the way, after he got out of prison in Canada he went to Spain, where [I]he taught the national junior hockey league.[/I]

From today's Winnipeg Press: "Ex NHL-er Expects More Accusations" http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ca...-nhler-expects-more-accusations-90071587.html

Former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy says Graham James could have as many as 150 accusers and more will likely come forward now that a controversial pardon has put the shamed hockey coach back in the spotlight.
James, who coached several junior teams, was granted a pardon from the parole board in 2007 for sexual assaults against two of his former players, including Kennedy. He was sentence to 3 1/2 years in prison in 1997.

"Back when I charged him and he pleaded guilty the police figured in their investigation of myself and the other guy who came forward that there was anywhere between 75 and 150 and I would think that's not too far off," said Kennedy.
"I think the way this whole thing has been presented, it's almost re-sparked that fire within people to say: 'You know what, I need to come forward to make changes.' And not only with Graham.
"Look at the heightened awareness around this pardon stuff."

This is a disturbing piece from a columnist at the Ottawa Citizen . The writer actually says that pedophiles don't reoffend, and then uses the Graham pardon to attack the American justice system. THEN he gets all warm and fuzzy about the rights and benefits of pedophiles. Writers like this make me ill.

My great-grandfather once owned this paper, and he must be turning over in his grave at this disturbing piece.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/Harper+plays+people+worst+instincts/2771060/story.html

Graham James is in the news again - this time he gets sentenced to 2 years (yes 2 years) in jail for sexually molesting Todd Holt and his cousin Theo Fleury. In 1997, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years for assaulting two other players, including former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy. This is his third conviction for sexually assaulting teenage boys.‬ ‪ He should be locked away for good - not two years - what a joke. LOL - he received a federal pardon, left the country and lived in Mexico and Spain - no doubt he left a trail of victims there as well. Links here - warning - could lead to a rise in blood pressure because of the injustice of it all...... . :maddening: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_James_(ice_hockey)
Graham James sentenced to two years in prison in sex assault case Former junior hockey coach Graham James has been sentenced to two years in prison for sexually assaulting two of his former players.
‪Manitoba judge Catherine Carlson issued her sentence this morning before a packed court room in Winnipeg.‬ ‪The Crown had been seeking a six-year prison term while Mr. James’ lawyer, Evan Roitenberg, wanted a conditional‬ ‪sentence of up to 18 months.‬ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...in-prison-in-sex-assault-case/article2375149/