On June 13, 2024, our firm filed an application for authorization to institute a class action against the Roman Catholic Bishop of Rouyn-Noranda and the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Timmins. This request seeks compensation for sexual assaults committed by members of the clergy or other persons under the authority of the Catholic Church in the territory of the Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda, which until 1973 belonged to the Diocese of Timmins.
Our client’s story
All three of our clients were sexually abused by clergy when they were minors.
Two of them were assaulted while they were students at the Séminaire St-Michel in Rouyn-Noranda in the 1960s. One of our clients was assaulted by Father Roland Lapalme, his spiritual director, when he was 13 years old. Our other client was also sexually assaulted by his spiritual director, Father Maurice Magnan, and then by Father Joseph Guiho.
Our third client was assaulted in the 1950s. When he was 7 years old, Father Philippe Pelletier abused him. In the years that followed, Father Pelletier committed further sexual assaults and was eventually transferred to another parish.
Our clients have suffered several consequences as a result of sexual assault and have decided to bring this class action so that all victims of sexual assault can obtain compensation.
The proposed class action
In accordance with the
Civil Code of Québec
, the principal or employer is required to compensate for the injury caused by the fault of its servant or employee when the fault is committed in the performance of the employee’s or employee’s duties. We are therefore prosecuting the legal persons responsible for the activities of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda for sexual assaults committed by members of the clergy or other persons under their authority in the course of the Church’s activities.
We are also suing the Roman Catholic Bishop of Rouyn-Noranda and the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Timmins for their own faults. Indeed, we maintain that they have not taken the necessary measures to prevent or put an end to sexual abuse and that they have therefore engaged their responsibility.
We are seeking compensatory damages to compensate victims for the harms caused by sexual assault. We are also seeking punitive damages to sanction the intentional violation of the rights to safety, integrity and dignity of victims of sexual assault, rights that are protected by
the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
.
The target group
All persons, as well as their heirs and assigns, who have been sexually assaulted by a member of the clergy, an employee or a volunteer, lay or religious, under the responsibility of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Rouyn-Noranda or the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Timmins who have exercised their authority over the territory of the Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda, during the period between 8 April 1910 and the judgment to be delivered.
Territory of the Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda
The Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda includes the following municipalities:
- Angliers
- Arntfield
- Béarn
- Beaudry
- Bellecombe
- Belleterre
- Cadillac
- Nailer
- D’Alembert
- Dubuisson
- Évain
- Granada
- Guérin
- Guigues
- Laforce
- Latulipe
- Laverlochère
- Lorrainville
- Malartic
- McWatters
- Moffet
- Montbeillard
- Mont-Brun
- Notre-Dame-du-Nord
- Rémigny
- Héva River
- Rollet
- Rouyn-Noranda
- St-Eugène-de-Guigues
- Timiskaming First Nation
- Ville-Marie/Duhamel West
- Winneway – Long Point First Nation
Applications lodged with the Court
Application for authorization to file a class action
Current status of the file
Awaiting authorization by a judge of the Superior Court.
How to be part of the class action?
If you meet the definition of the group referred to above, you are automatically part of this class action.
We invite you to fill out this following form if you believe you are a member of the group.