Judge approves $31.5M settlement in sexual assault case against Quebec archdiocese

A Quebec law firm has reported that a Superior Court judge in Quebec has approved a $31.5 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit against the Quebec City archdiocese for sexual assault claims. The agreement marks the end of a lengthy legal battle for individuals who allege they were sexually abused by priests and employees of the Catholic organization dating back to 1940.

Plaintiffs Gaétan Bégin and Pierre Bolduc, who initiated the class action, claim they were sexually assaulted by parish priests as teenagers in the 1950s and 1960s. The Dufresne Wee law firm, representing the plaintiffs, says victims have 90 days to submit a claim detailing the abuse and its impact on their lives. The compensation for those accepted into the settlement will be determined by two retired judges. The Quebec City archdiocese plans to issue a formal apology to each victim whose claim is approved.