New potential victims come forward as sexual abuse case widens against Greenfield Park minor hockey coach
Investigators say they have identified 16 possible new victims in the case of François Lamarre, a retired Montreal police officer and minor hockey coach who is facing charges related to sexual assault.
Lamarre, 70, was charged Dec. 4 with gross indecency, indecent exposure, sexual assault, sexual touching and invitation to sexual touching.
The initial allegations involve four boys between the ages of nine and 16, alleged to have been sexually abused over a 25-year period, from 1972 to 1997.
Longueuil police issued a statement Monday, saying they have received 27 calls from people in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and the United States since the case was publicized earlier this month.
Sgt. Patrick Barrière said investigators will be travelling to meet in person the 27 callers, 16 of whom are potential victims. Others are potential witnesses.
"It takes a lot of courage to speak out about it. So that's why it will take a couple of weeks ... to meet everybody," he said.
Barrière said investigators do believe there are other people out there who are victims or were witnesses.
Lamarre, known as Frank, was a hockey coach from 1970 to 1980 in Greenfield Park, which is now part of Longueuil.
Police say some of the assaults are alleged to have taken place at his home, while others allegedly took place in his vehicles, which included a Ford and a Cadillac, and at hockey arenas.
'Don't sit on this burden'
Wade Wilson, a local city councillor and lifelong Greenfield Park resident, said Monday he believes there might be as many as 100 potential victims.
Wilson alleges he was sexually assaulted by Lamarre over a two-year span starting at around age 10.
"When you're [remembering] playing minor hockey at 12 years old, at this stage of my life it should all be good positive memories, but unfortunately, it's not. And for me personally, I feel a great degree of guilt," he said.
When the story broke, Wilson said it was the least he could do to come forward and provide assistance to others.
He said he has personal regrets about not coming forward sooner, but given Lamarre's police credentials and his standing the community, it felt impossible.
"The four big heroes of this story are the ones who initiated it,'' Wilson said, referring to the four cases in which charges have already been laid. "They came out and they've been pursuing this for a while — especially an individual in Ontario.''
No charges have been laid related to Wilson's complaint, which was filed Wednesday.
Wilson said he wishes he had spoken out sooner, and he hopes doing so now will encourage others to come forward.
"The least I could do is come forward and advise people that it's okay.... Speak to somebody, don't hold it inside for ever,'' Wilson said. "It's a terrible, dark secret to keep for such a long time, and it has to be addressed and you have to move forward with it at some point.''
"Don't sit on this burden for the rest of your life. Get out there and tell somebody, and talk to a friend, a parent, whoever it might be, but free yourself from this pain."
Lamarre was released on a promise to appear in court this Thursday. Under the conditions of his release, he is not allowed to speak to any of the complainants or anyone under the age of 18, and he may not be near parks, schools or community centres.
He could not be reached for comment Monday.
Longueuil police have asked anyone with information that could be pertinent to this case to call them at 450-463-7211.
