Archdiocese of Quebec to pay out $31.5M to sexual abuse victims after judge approves settlement

A Quebec Superior Court judge has approved a historic $31.5-million settlement in a class-action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec.

The deal ends years of legal action for claimants who said they were sexually assaulted by members of the Archdiocese since 1940.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Danye Daigle approved the settlement earlier this week, led by representative plaintiffs Gaétan Bégin and Pierre Bolduc.

Both men have said they were sexually assaulted by parish priests starting in the 1950s and 1960s when they were aged 14 and 12 respectively.

Daigle heard emotional testimony from victims during a public hearing in July, to determine whether the out-of-court agreement and the requested fees, were in the best interests of the class members.

Alleged sexual abuse victims of Archdiocese of Quebec closer to historic $31.5M settlement

After the hearing, Bégin described it as a historic day. Now 86, Bégin said the boy whose life was was robbed, is still with him every day.

But he said the worst isn't so much what happened to him, but the suffering he says he unwittingly inflicted on his family.

The Dufresne Wee law firm says other victims have 90 days to to submit a claim outlining the alleged abuse and its impact on their lives.

Lawyer Justin Wee has said the $31.5 million settlement is one of the biggest against a diocese in Quebec.

The compensation fund will be financed by the Archdiocese of Quebec, the Séminaire de Québec, Collège François-de-Laval — formerly known as the Petit Séminaire de Québec — and the Mutual Insurance of Quebec Fabriques.

In addition to the $31.5-million compensation fund, the defendants have agreed to cover the costs associated with administering the claims process, including adjudicators’ fees and expenses such as obtaining medical records and expert opinions when necessary.

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The amount each person receives will be determined by two retired judges appointed to assess the claims. Victims will also receive a written apology form the Archdiocese of Quebec.