A “historic” agreement has just been concluded in favor of the victims of the Mont d’Youville orphanage which will bring them $65 million.
According to the victims’ lawyers, this would be a record amount for a cause of this type.
“We’re really happy and the victims we’ve spoken to so far have told us they are too. This is a historic agreement. To our knowledge, there has never been such a large amount paid in Quebec for a similar cause,” declared Me Simon St-Gelais, spokesperson for the lawyers.
Nearly 600 residents were victims of sexual, physical and psychological abuse between 1925 and 1996 in the orphanage in the Beauport sector in Quebec.
A total of 95 alleged attackers were targeted by the prosecution, including 67 religious people.
The collective action against the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Quebec and the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale was filed six years ago.
The nuns operated the orphanage until 1996, when they handed over the building to the CIUSSS which made it its headquarters.
Without this agreement, a trial expected to last six months would have opened in September.
“It is also a relief because the victims will not have to testify. It was planned to have around 40 testify,” adds Me St-Gelais.
Next steps
It remains for a judge to ratify the agreement between the parties. Me St-Gelais thinks it is possible that the Court will hear the case next month and that everything will be formalized during the summer.
A notice will then be published to explain the rest of the procedure.
The settlement is worth approximately $100,000 per person, but the amounts will not be paid equally.
“The distribution process will be filed with the Court. There will be several categories of compensation depending on the severity. Each of the victims will be met by a retired judge who will determine which category they fall into. If the Court approves the agreement during the summer, we estimate that the compensation could be paid in the second half of 2025,” says Mr. Simon St-Gelais.
In a press release, the religious congregation declared that it had come to this agreement “to hope to restore peace of mind to its members and all parties concerned.”
“This decision was taken because of the heavy emotional burden that this represented and in order to avoid a long trial and the associated costs (…) without recognition of any responsibility of the Congregation and its members for the regard to the alleged facts,” adds the press release signed by Superior General Sister Monique Gervais.
Remember that criminal charges have been filed against three former educators of the orphanage.
—With the collaboration of Pierre-Paul Biron
CHARGES FILED AGAINST THREE MONT D’YOUVILLE RESPONSIBILITIES
Reynald Hamel – 5 chefs
- Indecent assault on a boy between July 1971 and April 1976
- Indecent assault, sexual assault and sexual intercourse with a person under 14, then under 16, on a young girl, between May 1979 and May 1985
- Preliminary investigation on November 1
Michel Leblanc – 4 chefs
- Indecent assault, sexual assault and sexual intercourse with a person under 14, then under 16, on a young girl between May 1979 and May 1985
- Preliminary investigation on December 2
John-Anthony O’Reilly – 1 conductor
- Indecent assault on a young boy between July 1971 and April 1976
- Trial opens on October 2
