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Canada should follow U.S. lead on abuse: Fleury

By: Staff Writer

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012 at 8:09 AM | Comments: 0

CALGARY -- A high-profile victim of former hockey coach Graham James says he wishes Canada would follow the U.S. in handing out harsh sentences to sexual predators, but doesn't think there is the political will.

Theo Fleury was reacting Tuesday to the sentence given former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. The 68-year-old Sandusky was given at least 30 years in jail after being found guilty in June of 45 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a 15-year period.

"The good part is he's going away for the rest of his life, but I wish they would have given him the full 400 years because that would have sent a real strong message to the world that we're not going to look at this lightly anymore," said Fleury, who was molested by James during his junior hockey career.

Fleury said it is time for the Canadian government to step up and take a hard line in dealing with sexual predators.

"I would say basically what we're all thinking is we need to sit down and take this seriously. We look to the government for leadership but there's no leadership around us whatsoever. We'd rather bury our heads in the sand like we have for thousands of years."

In the late 1990s, James served about 18 months of a 31/2 year-sentence for molesting former NHLer Sheldon Kennedy and two other players.

He got out of jail in 2000 and dropped out of public view until Fleury came forward recently with allegations against the former coach.

James was sentenced to a further two years in prison last March for sexually assaulting Fleury and Fleury's cousin, Todd Holt, when they played for him in the Western Hockey League in the 1980s and '90s.

-- The Canadian Press

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