CANADA
The Telegram
Barb Sweet
Published on April 25, 2016
That first day of trial at Courtroom No. 2, Newfoundland Supreme Court, the sides were aligned on either side of the aisle on stiff-backed, wooden benches that resemble the pews of a church.
“Why are they here?” several people asked The Telegram.
The “they” in this instance are the handful of staff and top-ranking clergy, including Archbishop Martin Currie, of the Archdiocese of St. John’s, known as the entity, RC Episcopal Corp. of St. John’s who have attended the trial daily.
Those wondering why the church was there were former residents of the infamous Mount Cashel boys’ orphanage — a name forever associated with a physical and sexual abuse scandal — and their supporters.
The civil case that pits John Doe against the Episcopal Corp. has four John Does — men all in their 70s who, as test cases, represent 60 former Mount Cashel residents, clients of Budden and Associates’ law firm. There are also about 20 others who could be affected by the outcome represented by other lawyers in St. John’s.
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