Court date set for retired priest charged in Manitoba residential school investigation

The court date for a retired 92-year-old priest who was charged following an investigation into sexual abuse allegations at a Manitoba residential school has been set.

Retired Father Arthur Masse, of Winnipeg, will appear in court on March 7 and 8, 2023, in Winnipeg in the Manitoba Court of King's Bench.

Masse was arrested at his home in June and charged with one count of indecent assault.

In August, he pleaded not guilty.

The charge comes from an 11-year RCMP investigation into sexual abuse allegations at the Fort Alexander Residential School between 1968 and 1970. The investigation was spurred by a tip police received in February 2010 of an alleged incident involving a 10-year-old girl who was a student at the school.

Masse was released from custody with conditions and none of the allegations against him have been proven in court.

Mounties have said previously they don't anticipate further charges to be laid.

Victoria McIntosh, who has identified herself as the victim in the case, previously told CTV News she plans to follow the case 'every step of the way.'

"A lot of us were kept in the dark about the legacy of residential schools, and seeing my fellow survivors—it really gives me a lot of comfort," she said while outside the legion hall in Powerview, Man., where Masse's case was last heard in August.

If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419

Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here. 

-With files from CTV News' Danton Unger and Josh Crabb