Quote# 38469

MONTREAL — The leader of a fringe evangelical movement kept his so-called marriage to a 10-year-old girl hidden from her mother despite using it to lay claim to her body, a Quebec court heard Wednesday.

Daniel Cormier, who headed the now-defunct Church of Downtown Montreal, says the marriage gave him the right to have sexual relations with the girl. But as she was cross-examined by Cormier, the girl's mother denied ever being aware of a marriage.

"My first knowledge of this so-called marriage was when court proceedings started," said the woman, who like her daughter cannot be identified.

"I spoke to (my daughter) and (she) doesn't remember any kind of marriage," she added. "She doesn't remember marrying you."

Cormier, 57, stands accused of a variety of sex-related crimes, including sexual exploitation and sexual assault. He is also charged with sexually exploiting a different 16-year-old girl.

[...]

As justification he has cited their 1999 marriage in the church which he founded.

The mother has said she thought the ceremony was a birthday party for her daughter and even baked a cake for the occasion. [...]

Daniel Cormier, The Canadian Press 8 Comments [4/30/2008 11:25:40 AM]
Fundie Index: 5