(Montreal) The Jewish General Hospital in Montreal finds itself at the heart of a class action lawsuit for alleged sexual abuse committed against children by two former social workers employed by its Department of Child Psychiatry, Gino Londei and Steve Trowbridge.
The request, led by the law firm Trudel Johnston and Lspérance, was presented to the Superior Court on Thursday by the alleged victim identified by the initials CK, who was a young boy aged 6 when he was admitted to the Department in child psychiatry in 1981. The child attended the Department’s day clinic for approximately two years, where he claims to have been sexually assaulted on several occasions.
He is asking the Court for permission to represent all the people who suffered sexual assaults from the two social workers, alleging that these men “used the power and authority conferred on them by their status and role as care workers pediatricians to commit these heinous acts.”
“The number of victims is uncertain at this stage,” explained M.e Jessica Lelièvre in interview with La Presse Canadienne.
There are several hundred children who have attended the Department of Child Psychiatry. We are certain that there are many other victims who will join the class action.
Me Jessica Lelievre
“The most vulnerable children”
In his application, CK accuses the two men of having chosen their victims “from among the most vulnerable children under their supervision” and of having “used the power conferred on them by their status to instill fear in their victims, thus preventing them from denouncing the abuse”.
In his application, which targets the CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, which oversees the Jewish General Hospital, CK recounts in particular having been taken by Steve Trowbridge into a room containing toys and having been able to obtain a ball only on the condition that the child caress his genitals.
Gino Londei, for his part, had locked CK in what was known as a “time out room” on several occasions and allegedly sexually abused him. In one instance, he allegedly beat the child violently, pushed him to the ground, removed his pants and sodomized him, an experience that CK says he still remembers today in the pain, fear and inability to call for help. His underwear was stained with blood.
The two men, he alleges, repeatedly abused him.
Although CK does not recall witnessing any other child abuse, he does recall seeing Steve Trowbridge and Gino Lundei take children to this withdrawal room on several occasions.
Me Lelièvre was not able at this stage to provide information on the fate of the two former social workers, saying he expects to learn more as the proceedings progress.
Dramatic consequences
CK claims to have since suffered from anxiety, depression, loss of trust in anyone in authority and alcoholism. He has difficulty building lasting relationships and fears closed spaces. He says he experiences symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, including reminders (“flashbacks”) of the attacks he suffered.
He is seeking non-pecuniary damages of $250,000 for each of the victims who have been identified. He is also seeking pecuniary damages and punitive damages, the amount of which will remain to be determined for each victim.