Miriam Pinkesz  |  September 15, 2020

Category: Legal News

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catholic church lit with candles in Joliette

After a recent class action lawsuit Canada was launched against the Clerics of St. Viateur, a congregation mired in a sexual assault scandal, many are demanding that a street and an auditorium bearing the names of two deceased priests of the religious order be changed.

Clerics of St. Viateur Arrested Over Sexual Assault Claims

Five elderly members of the Clerics of St. Viateur, a Catholic teaching order, were reportedly arrested by Quebec provincial police over child sexual assault allegations that spanned decades.

The men, whose ages range from 78 to 88, were arrested in Joliette and face over 30 charges, including charges of gross indecency, indecent assault and sexual assault.

Fifteen victims of alleged sexual assault have reportedly made criminal complaints.

About 50 priests and lay employees of the Clerics of St. Viateur are currently targeted by a class action lawsuit of about 300 people, 90% of whom are men who claim to have been sexually assaulted since 1935.

The Clerics of the sexual assault allegations are claimed to have committed sexual assault at more than 20 institutions in the province.

The sexual assault class action lawsuit Canada was initially filed in 2017, and includes sexual assaults that were alleged to have occurred as far back as the 1930s.

Lawyer Justin Wee of Arsenault Dufresne Wee is representing the victims in the Clerics of St. Viateur sexual assault class action lawsuit.

Street Names May Soon Change in Joliette

Florian Bournival, a priest mentioned in the class action lawsuit, has had a street named after him in Joliette since 2010. He died at the age of 72 in 2002, and he allegedly lived at the Saint-Georges orphanage in Joliette between 1960 and 1964, according to the claim.

“We will wait for the outcome of this class action before making a decision and will then assess the possibility of withdrawing any nomination made in his name,” wrote Alexanne Moreau, communications officer with the City of Joliette.

Joliette metro map green lineFor its part, the Centre culturel Desjardins de Joliette theatre has been named Rolland Brunelle since 1998, another priest targeted in the Clerics of St. Viateur sexual assault class action lawsuit.

Father Rolland Brunelle, who taught music at the Séminaire de Joliette for nearly 40 years, allegedly committed acts of sexual assault at the Camp musical de Lanaudière in 1969, according to the class action lawsuit documents. He died at the age of 93 in 2004.

“The allegations brought to our attention are taken seriously and require us to take some time to reflect on the decisions to be made,” explained Jean-Sébastien Martin, the general and artistic director of the Centre culturel Desjardins.

This priest in question was also named a Chevalier (Knight) de l’Ordre national du Québec in 1992.

According to the Justin Wee of Arsenault Dufresne Wee Avocats, one of lawyers pearheading the sexual assault class action lawsuit, the cultural centre can withdraw or change the name of the theatre, even if Rolland Brunelle has not been found guilty at trial.

“Rolland Brunelle is mentioned in a denunciation, so there would be a victim of Père Brunelle,” he told reporters.

According to the lawyer, there is a precedent regarding the withdrawal of a name of someone accused of abuse. In fact, rue Roger-Garceau in Trois-Rivières was renamed in December 2019 following a denunciation aimed at the religious figure.

“A victim will have difficulty healing when the name of his attacker is chosen to celebrate the culture,” added the lawyer, even though the majority of victims are over 60 years old today.

Father Gervais Dumont, spokesman for the Clerics of St. Viateur, said he has heard positive comments about the two priests in question: “We are saddened and shocked about the whole situation, but Father Brunelle has been a much appreciated musician in the Joliette area,” explained the clergyman who added that the Cleric taught at the institution until the age of 90.

The Clerics of St. Viateur sexual assault class action lawsuit brought by the victims continues to make its way through the Quebec legal system. A judge must now ascertain a meeting time to negotiate a possible agreement between the religious congregation and the law firm.

Sexual Assault Class Action Lawsuits Canada Continue to Pile Up

Two alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests in the 1950s and 1960s have launched a class action lawsuit Canada in August against the Diocese of Quebec.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver has also been hit with a late summer class action lawsuit accusing it of covering up decades of systemic abuse and silencing survivors.

Do you think the street and theatre should be renamed? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!

Class Members are represented by Arsenault Dufresne Wee Avocats.

The Sexual Abuse Class Action Lawsuit is A.B. v. Les Clercs de St-Viateur, Case No. 500-06-000890-174, in the Superior Court of Québec, District of Montreal, Canada.

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