BishopAccountability.org
 
 

John Does Seeking Nearly $8 Million in Mount Cashel Abuse Suit

The Telegram
December 15, 2016

http://www.thetelegram.com/news/local/2016/12/15/john-does-seeking-nearly--8-million-in-mount-cashel-abuse-suit.html

Lawyers for four John Does have asked the Supreme Court of Newfoundland for damages of nearly $8 million for abuse suffered at the hands of certain Christian Brothers at Mount Cashel.

The four test-case John Does say the church, through the Episcopal Corp., should be held liable for physical and sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of certain members of the lay order of Irish Christian Brothers. The Does — all orphanage residents several decades ago — represent about 60 clients who were at the orphanage during the late 1940s to early 1960s.

The amounts for the other 60 claimants who could be affected by the outcome of this trial will be determined in the future based on whether the four John Does win their cases.

The church insists the lay order Irish Christian Brothers ran the orphanage and were independent of the archdiocese.

The trial, during many of its 31 non-consecutive days this year, contained disturbing testimony concerning the experiences of the four John Does at the orphanage several decades ago, as well as personal details of their lives since then and various expert opinions on child sex abuse and its impacts.

Testimony in the Mount Cashel civil trial ended June 30.

Four John Does testified, as well as a former resident not involved in the case. Three agreed statements of fact were also entered concerning the experiences of three other former Mount Cashel boys.

Among the others the court heard from were two canon lawyers, the archbishop, a historian, a sister of one of the John Does, three psychologists, a psychiatrist and an economist.

The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp. of St. John’s is represented by the Toronto law firm Miller Thomson.

 

 

 

 

 




.

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.