Sexual Assault Victims Calling for Catholic Church Boycott

CJAD
May 26, 2014

http://www.cjad.com/cjad-news/2014/05/26/sexual-assault-victims-calling-for-catholic-church-boycott

Victims who were sexually abused by priests as children are calling on Quebecers to boycott the Catholic Church.

Represented by former justice minister and lawyer Marc Bellemare, the victims are asking Quebecers to stop giving the Catholic Church donations because they say it isn't recognizing the damage the abuse brought to their lives by using the statute of limitations as an excuse not to pay them compensation.

By law, the statute of limitations sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event can be initiated.

“They want to teach the moral to all of us but they are using the law totally immorally to destroy us in front of the trial,” victim Frank Tremblay said.

“I want the population of Quebec to think before they give,” he continued.

The group also says donations are being used to pay the lawyer fees for the accused priests.

“We want to be sure that every Quebecer knows where their money is going,” Tremblay said.

Victims say the boycott would send a clear message to the Catholic Church that it needs to be more helpful towards victims, and work to identify pedophiles within the institution.

Gerald Cyprien Lacroix, Quebec's archbishop, denies that the donations are used for lawyer fees.

He says they do what they can to help victims but they can’t change the law.