Roman Catholic Diocese of Chicoutimi Settlement Overview:
- Who: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chicoutimi has agreed to a $13.7M settlement with victims of the defrocked priest Paul-André Harvey.
- Why: The settlement will benefit some 120 people who reported being sexually assaulted by Harvey.
- Where: The settlement was decided in Quebec Superior Court.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chicoutimi has agreed to a $13.7 million settlement to compensate some 120 victims who were sexually assaulted by the defrocked priest Paul-André Harvey.
The settlement between the association des jeunes victimes de l’Église, the diocese and the parishes in which Harvey committed his crimes was filed in the Quebec Superior Court in Saguenay Mar. 16, CBC reports.
The class action lawsuit alleged the Chicoutimi Diocese was liable for the priest’s sexual assault because it neglected to protect the young victims despite being aware of the abuse.
In 2015, Harvey pleaded guilty to 39 counts of sexual assault and gross indecency for acts committed between 1963 and 1983. His victims were all girls, most between the ages of 8 and 10. Harvey died in prison in May 2018.
The settlement requires Chicoutimi Bishop René Guay to publicly apologize for the crimes.
“It is a huge relief for the victims, to whom I want to express my deepest sympathy after all these years of suffering,” Guay said in a virtual news conference. “I really want them to know that my heart is with them, hoping that this agreement is really an important step in healing the serious wounds that have been inflicted on them.”
The bishop said the church has learned from what happened and committed to putting in place restorative measures so the situation could not happen again.
Sexual Assault Victims To Receive Less Than Initially Sought
The victims came from nine different parishes throughout the diocese and claimed that whenever a complaint was filed against Harvey, he would simply be reassigned to another parish by the bishop of the time, Marius Paré.
Suzanne Tremblay, the spokesperson for the association des jeunes victimes de l’Église, which represented the defrocked priest’s victims, said she hopes the agreement will finally allow the victims to find peace.
While the compensation is less than the $25 million victims initially sought, she said there could never be an amount that repaired what they had lost. The settlement will be paid by the diocese’s insurer.
Earlier this year, more than a dozen men who say they were sexually abused by a priest while they were incarcerated in a youth jail said they are looking to take class action against the province of Alberta and the Anglican Synod of the Diocese of Edmonton.
In 2020, two alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests in the 1950s and 1960s launched a class action lawsuit against the Diocese of Quebec.
That lawsuit seeks to represent anyone sexually assaulted by members of the clergy or lay pastoral personnel under the responsibility of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Quebec and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Quebec between Jan. 1, 1940, to now.
If you or a loved one was sexually abused or assaulted at church, school or daycare, or while participating in a youth program, you may be able to participate in a lawsuit investigation. This investigation is open to residents of Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia. Click here for more information.
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