BishopAccountability.org
	Diocese Faces Sex Abuse Lawsuits; North Bay, Powassan Among Sites of Alleged Misconduct North Bay Nugget January 26, 2008 http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=875494 [This article has been posted on the web in other versions containing additional details 1 2 .] The Roman Catholic diocese of Sault Ste. Marie has been hit with six civil lawsuits from men and women claiming they were sexually abused as children by priests decades ago. Ledroit Beckett Litigation Lawyers of London, Ont., are scheduled to hold a news conference Monday to announce the Sault. Ste. Marie lawsuits, as well as one in London. The firm is suing the Sault diocese, the Roman Catholic diocese of London and the Congregation of the Resurrection in Ontario on behalf of seven plaintiffs. The litigation names six Roman Catholic priests, only one of whom, Gerald Roy, is still alive. Half of the priests named have been charged or convicted of criminal offences. The allegations of sexual misconduct occurred in the Sault diocese communities of North Bay, Powassan, Sudbury, Field, Crystal Falls and Tecumseh, near Windsor, which falls under the London diocese. Three lawsuits, each for $4.5 million, were served against the Sault diocese in February 2007, and the new lawsuits bring to 10 the total number of plaintiffs the firm is representing in the case. Lawyer Rob Talach would not comment on the amount of damages being sought in the latest suits. The other priests named are Rene Hebert, who died Dec. 30 at the age of 76, Magnus Fedy, Victor Killoran, John Fisher and Laurent Paquette. Fisher ran a facility for troubled youth called Vita-Way Farms in Powassan and the Ontario government is also being sued in the case because it provided funding for youths who ran afoul of the law and were sent to Vita-Way. Some of the alleged abuse occurred at Scollard Hall, a former all-boys' Catholic secondary school in North Bay. It has since become St. Joseph-Scollard Hall, a co-ed school. Fedy and Killoran were both on staff at Scollard Hall. The Subdury Star could not reach a spokesperson for the Sault diocese Thursday evening. The plaintiffs, who now range in age from their 40s to their 60s, are expected to attend the news conference Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the Radisson Hotel in Sudbury. Talach said the lawsuits are not about money. He said every plaintiff he represents has the same answer when he asks them what they want: "For this to never happen to another child."
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.