Class Action Against Les Soeurs de la Charité and CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale
Update: September 9, 2024 – Approval of $65 million Settlement for Victims of Sexual, Physical and Psychological Abuse Suffered at Mont d’Youville
Kugler Kandestin has the immense pleasure to announce that on July 17, 2024, the Superior Court of Québec rendered a judgment approving a $65 million settlement in the class action against Les Soeurs de la charité de Québec and the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT A CLAIM:
In order to benefit from the settlement, Class members must submit a claim by no later than August 31, 2025.
In order to submit a claim, Class members must complete a Claims Form (available in French only) and submit it by the deadline following the instructions on page 1 of the form.
It is important to note that even if you have already contacted Class Counsel to discuss the abuse that you endured, you must still complete and submit a Claims Form.
For more details about the claims process, please read the Notice to Members (available in French only).
For any assistance completing the Claims Form, please contact Me Simon St-Gelais, of Quessy Henry St-Hilaire, at 418-682-8924, ext. 230.
If you or anybody you know was a victim of sexual, physical and/or psychological abuse at Mont d’Youville between 1925 and 1996, we encourage you to communicate with Me St-Gelais as well, so that he can inform you of your rights.
The communications are free and will be kept strictly confidential.
Kugler Kandestin lawyers Pierre Boivin and Robert Kugler are responsible for handling this case.
Kugler Kandestin is pleased to announce that we have settled the class action against Les Soeurs de la charité de Québec and the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale for $65 million, the largest ever settlement in Québec history for an abuse class action. The settlement, which is subject to approval by the Superior Court of Québec, will allow hundreds of individuals who suffered sexual, physical and/or psychological abuse at the Mont d’Youville institution to receive substantial compensation pursuant to a confidential claims procedure that removes any right of contestation on the part of the defendants.
There will be a hearing of a motion to approve the settlement and claims process at the Québec City Courthouse on July 4, 2024, at which time class counsel will also be seeking approval of class counsel fees for the six years of work they have devoted to the case. You do not have to attend the hearing in order to benefit from the settlement.
We are pleased to announce that, on August 6, 2020, the Superior Court of Québec rendered a judgment authorizing our application for authorization to institute a class action for the benefit of the following class (hereinafter, “Class”):
« All persons or successions of persons who were victims of sexual abuse and/or physical abuse and/or psychological abuse by agents of Mont d’Youville, including by members of the religious order Soeurs de la Charité de Québec, while they were at Mont d’Youville between 1925 and 1996. Excluded from the Class are persons who were compensated and who signed a release in the context of the National program of reconciliation with Duplessis orphans who attended certain institutions.”
Nature of the file
Kugler Kandestin and the law firm Quessy Henry St-Hilaire filed an application for authorization to institute a class action (the “Application”) seeking compensatory and punitive damages from the Soeurs de la Charité de Québec and the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.
The Application seeks access to justice to victims of sexual, physical and/or psychological abuse suffered during childhood at the hands of agents of Mont d’Youville, including members of the religious order les Soeurs de la Charité de Québec, while they were at Mont d’Youville between 1925 and 1996. The Application also includes estates of such victims. It excludes, however, persons compensated and who signed a release in the context of the National program of reconciliation with Duplessis orpĥans who attended certain institutions.
The Application alleges that the reprehensible and unacceptable abuse was carried out systematically for decades by at least 71 abusers, including 55 members of the religious order Soeurs de la Charité de Québec.