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/opinion/editorials/Criticism+parole+board+James+pardon+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
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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.

Pure "blaming the victim". This guy's more of an enabler with his position.

What do you expect from a culture that wouldn't extradite Roman Polanski to the US.

Also
"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"

Sounds like he is blaming Fleury for not coming forward sooner to me

Yes, the writer told me directly in an email to me that he was blaming Fleury for not coming forward sooner.

You are welcome to write to him, as I did. His email is at the bottom of his column:
phickey@thegazette.canwest.com

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!

it's ignorance like that, that makes it difficult to further the cause in getting help to those of us who have gone through abuse... *shakes head*...

New today: new victims of Graham James come forward and have gone to the police:

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

Big difference between Victim Blame and playing Devil's Advocate as columnists do. James was given a sentence averaging one year for every victim, identified or anonymous that he is on public record as having abused, even though the jail time really related to just Kennedy. Then served what, half that? If his reputed 98 other vics came forward en masse and at once it would have been much higher, those are the facts and I've no confidence that victims 3, 4 and Fleury's charges will result in a longer sentence this time round unless times have changed in Canada.

Offenders have 100 victims for a reason, every set of parents, if they are told, seems to say "not my kid" and there isn't even a report in some cases. Then we end up with Aaron Vargas on our hands at the end of a bunch of suicides and generally fucked-up lives. Steven Stayner made a statement, didn't live to see his kidnapper get life and die in jail, didn't have to be there as his report was on file for the next time his offender decided he wanted to do the same thing all over again after his let-off for the two kidnaps he carried out and his abuse of Stayner. All this whilst getting next to no therapeutic help to speak of.

I too made my police report after therapy, like my burglar's fingerprints which they have at the station, it makes zero difference at the time except for going through procedure and ticking a box on the healing trail (or for the burglar, insurance) but if either offender ever offends again, the police can get in touch and you bet your arse I'm going to court, that's what I want and what criminals deserve.

This is so fucked up. Why is government helping this guy, where is his Karmic Retribution.

God damn fucking bullshit that this fucker isn't getting his day, damnmit. I'm just so fucking pissed, just makes me feel helpless, hate that people who have connections are some how above the fucking law.

Bullshit.

Charlie.

I agree...I can only hope the Karma thing works...these things do take a long journey, and in fact the perp, will likely self destruct..it hurts us more to feel angry and mad...for that takes our precious energy...perhaps consider more involvement in this arena, closer to home..i am mulling that one over...how can I use my range of insanity based abuse as a strength and empower others...even if I could tell my story and let one other man feel like he is not alone.. I would feel better...a calling...a mission..fueled by these injustices...Thanks...
Jeff

Charlie24: If you read the Canadian newspapers this week, you will discover that the Canadian Parole Board has routinely pardoned thousands of pedophiles over the years. It has nothing to do with having any connections. A spokesperson from the Parole Board says that they "don't consider the crime" when giving out pardons. The pardons are given out to help the ex-cons get jobs. The few people who don't get pardons seem to be murderers.

Very messed up system they have up there.