Pope Benedict XVI is in London. Today he offered an apology for the “unspeakable crime” of sxual molestation by priests.
Benedict expressed:
“…his deep sorrow and shame over what the victims and their families suffered,”
Time Limits for Sexual Abuse Claims
This week the Supreme Court of Canada released its decisions in a pair of historical sexual abuse cases arising out of Nova Scotia. In Borden v. Attorney General of Nova Scotia and Smith v. Attorney General of Nova Scotia, the plaintiffs filed claims against the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children and the Children’s Aid Society alleging the defendants were liable for damages for sexual assault and breach of fiduciary duty relating to sexual abuse that allegedly occurred in the home between 1966 and 1984.
The Home for Colored Children and the Children’s Aid Society applied for summary judgment to dismiss the claims on the basis that they were statute barred pursuant to Nova Scotia’s Limitation of Actions Act.
A new class action has been filed in Quebec alleging sexual abuse by priests.
The class action names the Community of the Clerics of St. Viateur in Montreal and the Raymond-Dewar Institute (also known as the Institute for the Deaf and Dumb) as defendants.
The representative plaintiff, Serge D’arcy says he was a victim of sexual abuse by priests while attending the institute between 1967 and 1972. D’arcy states that he was subjected to physical and sexual abuse by priests who were members of the religious group who taught and worked at the Dewar Institute.
Snail’s Pace
The Guardian has reported that the criminal investigation into sexual abuse allegations against PEI priest Rev. George Smith is moving slowly.
Tedious
Wants to See Justice
Bishop Richard Gagnon, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria British Columbia said he wants to “see that justice gets done” after British Columbia priest, Father Philip Jacobs was charged with sexual assault.
Jacobs served as a priest for St. Joseph the Worker in Saanich, British Columbia from 1998 to 2002.
Pope Begs Forgiveness – But Doesn’t Apologize
I posted earlier today that the Pope has begged for forgiveness from survivors of priest sexual abuse. Unfortunately, the statement did not contain an apology or any acknowlegement that the Vatican or the Catholic Church were to blame for the tidal wave of priest abuse claims that have crossed the Atlantic from North America and swept across the U.K. and Europe.
Blame Everyone – Admit Nothing
Pope “Begs” for Forgiveness
At a mass with some 15,000 priests marking the end of the Roman Catholic Church’s Year for Priests, the Pope asked for forgiveness from victims of priest sexual abuse:
“We … insistently beg forgiveness from God and from the persons involved, while promising to do everything possible to ensure that such abuse will never occur again,”
Vatican Not Responsible for Bishops Actions
The Vatican is defending a lawsuit that claims Bishops in the United States covered up allegations of sexual abuse. That’s not news. The Pope and the Roman Catholic Church have never acknowledged the responsibility the Church as an institution has to survivors of priest sexual abuse. The Catholic Church tends to fight lawsuits filed by priest abuse victims vigorously, even if the priests involved have been criminally convicted.
Blame Everyone Else
New Brunswick Priests Convicted of Sexual Abuse
Two former priests employed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, Levi Noel and Charles Picot have been convicted of sexually assaulting children in their parishes during several decades spanning the 1950’s through to the early 1980’s.
We have been asked to help a number of survivors who have advised us they were sexually abused by Levi Noel and Charles Picot.
Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of being invited to present at the Canadian Institute’s 9th Annual summit on Institutional Liability for Sexual Assault & Abuse.
The two day conference brought together plaintiff and defence counsel from across the country to discuss emerging issues in the law pertaining to liability for child abuse.
This is the third time I have been invited to speak by the Canadian Institute. I was asked to make two presentations. I presented on the use of class actions as a tool for the resolution of institutional sexual abuse claims.
