(Montreal) A class action launched in 2017 against the Clercs de Saint-Viateur has just resulted in a settlement of 28 million dollars for the more than 300 victims of sexual assaults committed by members and lay employees of the organization.
Posted at 5:52 p.m.
Updated at 6:18 p.m.
The law firm Arsenault, Dufresne and Wee announced Thursday the conclusion of a settlement agreement, which must be approved by the Superior Court during a hearing on February 17 at the Montreal courthouse.
This class action was filed on November 14, 2017 and brings together more than 375 victims to date in Quebec, the law firm said Thursday, highlighting the courage they have shown throughout the process.
“It’s wonderful to see that at the start there were about ten victims, and that later on all these men and women decided to move forward and overcome their difficulties and all the consequences. that are associated with sexual assault. And that’s what we really need to highlight today, the courage of the victims, “said Ms.and Justin Wee.
Brian Ford, who had been a boarder at Collège Bourget in Rigaud, Montérégie, from 1981 to 1986, is representing the members of the class action.
The class action request, granted by the Superior Court on April 25, 2019, mainly targeted acts that allegedly occurred at Collège Bourget in Rigaud, but also in at least twenty other establishments “from 1935 to the present day”.
These victims, mostly men, who are over 60 years old today, are former students of many establishments and residences which were controlled by the congregation of the Clercs of Saint-Viateur.
Following next month’s hearing, the members of the class action will present a confidential claim before former judge Claude Champagne, who has been appointed as arbitrator.
In addition, the congregation will send a letter of apology to each person who will obtain compensation following the decision of the arbitrator.
“Since 2017 when the case started, and it’s a great relief for all these victims who were waiting for this happy ending, and I think it demonstrates again that a class action for sexual assault offers great accessibility to justice. These 375 victims at least will not have to testify in court, to be cross-examined, will not have to bring an individual lawsuit”, underlined Mr.and Wee.
At the same time, criminal proceedings are continuing, with some victims “making the choice when their attacker is alive to fight a fight at the criminal level”, said Ms.and Wee.
Last July, priest Jean Pilon of the Clercs de Saint-Viateur was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for criminal acts of a sexual nature against 12 victims, boys and girls who were minors at the time of the alleged acts.