Dozens of disturbing sex charges against a husband and wife, involving their own children, have been withdrawn by the Crown.

The 65-year-old man and his 67-year-old wife were arrested and charged in Montreal this time last year.

He faced 31 charges including incest, bestiality in the presence of a child, sexual interference, and sexual assault with a weapon, while she faced six charges, including sexual assault and criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

The offences were alleged to have occurred between 1997 and 2009 at their home in St. John’s.

But all of those charges have now been withdrawn by the Crown, stating there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction.

A publication ban remains in place since the man still faces one count each of sexual assault against his wife and common assault against a child.

He’s due to be arraigned on those charges in two weeks.

The couple—identified only by their initials C.C. and H.C.—moved to this province from Pennsylvania in the mid-1990s, providing pastoral and spiritual care for people with mental health and addictions in the Eastern Health region.

They are no longer living in the province.