A lawsuit filed against the diocese of Quebec included two Canadian bishops on the list of alleged sex offenders: Bishop Clément Fecteau, who died in 2007, and Bishop Jean-Pierre Blais of Baie-Comeau.
Newsroom (6/12/2022 7:48 PM, Gaudium Press) — The Canadian law firm Arsenault Dufresne Wee, which is responsible for a class action lawsuit of victims of sexual assault by Canadian clergy members, has included in the list of alleged offenders the names of two Canadian bishops: Bishop Clément Fecteau, who died in 2017, and Jean-Pierre Blais, current Bishop of Baie-Comeau.
Regarding Bishop Jean-Pierre Blais, the alleged facts would have happened between 1973 and 1975, in Charny, according to the accusation document presented by the law firm. According to the victim, Bishop Blais imselfis alleged to have improperly touched a 12-year-old child. Bp. Clement Fecteau is also on the list of possible offenders for allegedly touching and exposing himself to a 13-year-old child at the Quebec seminary in 1987.
Bp. Jean-Pierre Blais and Bp. Clément Fecteau
Clément Fecteau was named Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec in 1989. In 1996, he was appointed titular bishop of the diocese of St. Anne de la Pocatière, where he remained until his retirement in 2008. The episcopal bishop passed away in 2017. Bishop Blais was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec in 1994 and has been Bishop of Baie-Comeau since 2008.
The spokesperson for the Diocese of Quebec, Valérie Roberge-Dion, stated, “The leaders and members of the Catholic Church of Quebec vehemently condemn any conduct that goes against human dignity.” In addition, she explained that there is a telephone line and an e-mail intended to receive reports of sexual assaults committed by members of the clergy.
Acceptance of class action lawsuit against Canadian dioceses
The supreme court of Canada accepted, in May 2022, the collective claim against the diocese of Quebec, filed in 2020 by the law firm on behalf of two victims, Gaétan Bégin and Pierre Bolduc.
Since then, the number of victims and perpetrators has been increasing. In August of this year, the name of Cardinal Marc Ouellet was also included in the list as an alleged sex offender.
The current list of alleged victims includes 134 people who are said to have suffered sexual violence by members of the clergy of the diocese from 1940 onwards. The law firm Arsenault Dufresne Wee also has a class action, representing 43 victims, against the diocese of Trois-Rivières. Each victim could receive compensation of up to 600,000 Canadian dollars (about R$230,000) for damages caused by the assault. (FM)
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj