Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College to investigate its handling of Uwe Lieflander

Exclusive to The Current

In January 2019 multiple news sources reported that Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College’s (SWC) former assistant professor of music Uwe Lieflander had been charged by Ottawa Police with sexual assault. The charges relate to offences alleged to have occurred in 2016 and 2017. Lieflander was employed by SWC from 2007 to 2017. Above Uwe Lieflander in Regensburg, Germany. Photo: YouTube

Last week, a spokesperson for SWC informed The Current of its decision to conduct an investigation into its handling of Lieflander during his period of employment. The decision follows the publication on July 1 of an article entitled ‘Canadian college, church, and community ignored predatory choirmaster’s red flags.’ (See link below.) It was authored by American journalists Damien and Simcha Fisher, who regularly contribute to Catholic and secular publications. The duo is known for investigative work focussing on sexual abuse in Catholic institutions.

Among the accusations made in the piece was that Lieflander groomed a victim, named “Sam” in the article, and eventually assumed a quasi-parental role in her life, which included forcing her to call him “dad.” Sam accuses him of raping her although she states it happened after she ceased being a student at SWC. She is also reported as saying that there was a pattern of Lieflander forging especially deep connections with vulnerable children like her. “Once you were one of his favorites, you really felt important,” she said.

The article states that Lieflander’s lessons included probing into her home life, and also his trademark method of touching children during rehearsal as part of his teaching method. “There was a lot of touch,” Sam said about her lessons.

The Fishers claim in their article that “Lieflander’s alleged predation didn’t happen in a vacuum. The members of his small Canadian community, parents of his students, colleagues, and even a priest ignored red flags and explained away the behavior that Lieflander himself likened to grooming …”

Following publication of the Fisher article, The Current was contacted by Harold Visser, Chaplaincy Leader at Notre Dame High School in Ottawa. He and his wife had volunteered with Lieflander’s youth music programs and had read our 2019 report of the criminal charges. He told The Current that “We supported Sparrows for many years in Ottawa and are horrified at the crime that Mr. Lieflander is charged with…. May the organizations that employed him acknowledge any ways in which they facilitated his behaviour, ensure proper protections are in place to protect the vulnerable, and publicly recognize the charges and encourage any other possible victims to come forward.”

Visser also advised The Current that the Fisher article had caught the attention of German media in the region where Lieflander, now 57 years old, has worked as a parish organist since March 2018, initially on a part-time basis, then later as a full-time employee. Subsequent German media reports said the Diocese of Augsburg has released Lieflander from duties “pending clarification or further notice.”

In an email to this reporter SWC spokesperson, Dr. Natasha Duquette, who is also the Academic Dean and a Professor of Literature, said the investigation would be “conducted by an external organization…. This external management of the process will increase its objectivity. The continuing openness of the Board of Directors and Interim President to this type of investigation is confirming my hope for the future of the college. A full official announcement from SWC will follow soon.”

Lieflander was riding a moped from Germany to Africa this summer, according to his YouTube page. His last post is dated June 29, 2021, in which he describes arriving home in Regensburg, Germany after travelling 7,500 km.

Link to Fisher article – https://www.simchafisher.com/2021/07/01/canadian-college-church-and-community-ignored-predatory-choirmasters-red-flags/