Oblates dismiss Rivoire as ex-priest denies abuse allegations at meeting with Inuit

As Inuit delegates from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. prepared to meet with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in France Wednesday, they had a shock: the man they've accused of sexually abusing Canadian children would be there, too.

The delegates have been in France all week to call for the extradition of ex-priest Johannes Rivoire, who has been charged in Canada with sexual assault dating back to his time in Nunavut in the 1960s and 1970s.

The meeting with Rivoire was one the delegation had sought, but hadn't received any word about until they were nearly at their destination in Lyon, France.

Kilikvak Kabloona, the CEO of Nunavut Tunngavik, said delegates were emotional when they heard who would be at the meeting.

"I ask you to respect that this is a very difficult time for the survivors, and they might not be willing to speak with you at this time," Kabloona told media before the meeting.

"It's a very difficult situation. We did not have a lot of time to prepare ... It's short notice for such a significant meeting."

After the meeting, Kabloona said delegates left through a different entrance.

Rivoire appeared to acknowledge and remember some of the delegates, including Steve Mapsalak, Kabloona said, but denied all charges of abuse.

"He is refusing to travel to Canada to face justice because of his skin condition," she said. Rivoire told APTN in July he has eczema all over his body.

Rivoire worked in many Nunavut communities in the 1960s and 1970s, but returned to France in the early 1990s before he could be tried on abuse charges.

While some charges against him were stayed in 2017, the RCMP confirmed in March that more charges have been laid and they had issued a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.

After the meeting, Tanya Tungilik, who is among the delegates, recounted what it was like for her to see Rivoire in person.

"I just looked at him for about 10, 15 seconds just to take him all in, take this monster in. And then that's when I started to speak. Well, more like yell at him about what he did to my father," she said. "That I didn't have a dad anymore because of him. That he ruined his life. And lots of other not nice words."

 Tungilik said she didn't give him a chance to speak either.