Dozens of alleged victims are suing the Diocese of Trois-Rivières for sexual assaults committed by numerous priests and staff members.
Posted at 10:53 a.m.
Updated at 12:09 p.m.
A request to institute proceedings was filed Wednesday in Superior Court, indicates a press release from the firm Arsenault Dufresne Wee Avocats. The class action was authorized in June.
“At present, 30 victims have denounced having been attacked by approximately 16 priests or staff members of the Diocese,” the statement said. “Some, like Father Bernard St-Onge, had several victims. »
The latter pleaded guilty to 12 counts of indecent assault on six victims and served six months in prison in the 1990s, according to the originating application.
Plaintiff Dominic Mrais, a well-known radio host, was one of Father St-Onge’s victims. According to the application filed Wednesday, he masturbated or masturbated the cleric about 20 times when he was between the ages of 10 and 13. The scars left by these sexual assaults include depression, suicide attempts, relationship problems and anxiety. He is claiming $600,000 in pecuniary, non-pecuniary and punitive damages.
The sum of the damages claimed by the other victims, who are not named in the application, remains to be determined. The allegations of six of them, five men and one woman identified by the letters AF, are described in the application.
They include attempts at penetration, fellatio, masturbation and other touching suffered when the victims were young boys or girls. They target Father St-Onge, Father Bernardin Auger, Father Gilles Poisson, Father Jocelyn Robichaud, and Father Trahan (the request does not mention his first name).
The alleged victims say they have experienced suicide attempts, substance abuse problems, isolation, relationship difficulties, and many other consequences as a result of these repeated assaults.
“The Diocese will not comment on this file”, simply replied the spokesman Simon Bournival in response to questions from The Pressadding nevertheless that the institution “collaborates with the authorities” and “follows the process that is underway”.
The territory of the Diocese of Trois-Rivières “covers almost completely the Mauricie” and would be one “of the oldest Roman Catholic dioceses in Canada”, underlines the firm.
“All victims of sexual assault by religious organizations” are invited to contact the firm “in order to verify whether class actions have been brought against their attackers” by calling (514) 527-8903.