In a significant ruling, the Catholic Church has agreed to pay 10.4 crore Canadian dollars ($7.6 crore) to hundreds of sexual abuse survivors in eastern Canada, following a statement issued last Friday that confirmed the settlement.
The Archdiocese of St. John was held responsible in 2020 for one of the largest child sex abuse scandals in Canada at the now-closed Mount Cashel Orphanage in Newfoundland and Labrador province. The judicial inquiry uncovered that from 1940 onwards, for several decades, priests and church officials engaged in sexual abuse at the orphanage.
According to an AFP-reviewed report, 292 survivors will be awarded compensation ranging from 55,000 to 850,000 Canadian dollars. Ernst & Young, an accounting firm, has been designated as the independent intermediary to oversee the allocation of funds to the survivors.
Geoff Budden, representing the survivors, , remarked on the compensation amount, stating it was in line with “similar compensation from other courts.” Budden added, “People didn’t really grasp the scale of the problem and how widespread the abuse was.”
Despite declaring bankruptcy in 2021, the Archdiocese of St. John has succeeded in raising 4 crore Canadian dollars by selling its properties, amidst financial difficulties. Budden remains optimistic that the victims will receive the full amount awarded by the court.
