New lawsuit alleges historic sexual abuse at Merritt Catholic church

A woman who attended Merritt’s Catholic church as a child alleges she was sexually abused by a priest more than 50 years ago.

That’s according to a recently filed lawsuit which claims he used his position of trust and authority to “prey” on her and sexually assault her at Sacred Heart Church.

The plaintiff, who iNFOnews.ca is not naming, is now taking The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kamloops to civil court alleging the overseeing organization failed to protect her, according to a notice of civil claim.

She said the priest was responsible for teaching children and providing guidance in a “parent-like” role, both through religious and educational mentoring. Instead, he used his position to abuse her and keep her from telling anyone about it, according to court documents.

READ MORE: Disbarred Kamloops lawyer’s lawsuit dismissed over delays

“In order to facilitate abuses, (he) engaged in a pattern of behavior which was intended to make the plaintiff feel that it was unsafe to report the wrongdoings of (the priest),” her notice of claim reads.

The alleged abuse took place around the years 1971 to 1973, but the ages of the priest, who wasn’t fully identified in the claim, and the alleged victim are not clear in the lawsuit. She is described as being a “young child” during those years.

It’s not clear whether the priest is still alive and he is not named as a defendant.

In the years that followed, the alleged victim said she suffered PTSD, depression, sexual dysfunction and mistrust of authority figures and men. She continues to go through counselling and medical treatment, according to her claim.

According to her lawsuit, the Kamloops Diocese failed to properly supervise the priest and failed to document the abuse or discipline him. Whether the church was aware of abuse isn’t known, but she claimed the church ought to have known it was happening.

READ MORE: Kelowna distillery to pay former employee $60,000 in unpaid wages

When reached for comment on the allegations, the Kamloops Diocese said since it’s a matter in front of BC Supreme Court it would not comment.

“The Diocese of Kamloops is deeply committed to ensuring that all claims of historic abuse are handled with the utmost fairness, respect, and compassion,” Linda Filek, assistant to Bishop Joseph Nguyen, said in an emailed response.

She added a policy for reporting and preventing church abuse has been in place for years at the Kamloops Diocese.

“This policy reflects our ongoing commitment to fostering a safe and nurturing environment for all,” she said.

The church committed to intervening and protecting victims from abuse when reports are made, which includes sharing information with child protection authorities, according to policy documents. 

None of the allegations have been proven and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kamloops has not responded in court.