Paul Leroux was reduced to tears Thursday afternoon as he completed testimony in a Battleford courtroom.
Prior to the emotional outburst, the former dormitory supervisor at the Beauval Indian Residential School who is charged with numerous sexual assault charges against students gave mostly robotic refutations of his charges.
Leroux, 72, spoke fondly of his time at the Beauval School – from 1959 to 1967 – and the students he came into contact with.
“For me, they are still my boys, I still care for them,” he said. “Even the boys who accused me, they are still my boys and I wish them well.”
While on the stand, he said he never gave alcohol to students, showed them pornographic pictures or touched them sexually as alleged by those testifying against him.
Throughout the afternoon, in what was at times a rambling presentation, the former dorm supervisor tried to draw a picture of himself as a gentle man who was kind to students rather than the cold disciplinarian others have portrayed him as.
Leroux also continued to question the credibility of his accusers stating dates, times and places of alleged incidents were simply false.
In 1998, he was convicted of a number of sexual assault charges against students dating back to his time as a dorm supervisor at a residential school in the Northwest Territories in the 1970’s.
The trial is now adjourned until Monday when the Crown will begin cross-examination.