BC woman suing Kamloops Catholic diocese alleging historic sexual abuse

CONTENT ADVISORY

A BC woman who claims she was sexually abused by a priest in the 1980s is suing the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kamloops.

According to a Notice to Claim filed June 11, the woman was “young, vulnerable and in need of guidance” and the priest used his position of power to prey on her and sexually assault her.

“(The abuse) occurred on a repeated basis, increasing in frequency, nature and intensity as time progressed,” the Notice of Claim read.

The priest used his position of trust to make sure the victim didn’t tell anyone about the abuse, the court document claimed.

“The perpetrator engaged in a pattern of behaviour which was intended to make the (victim) feel that it was unsafe to report the wrongdoings of the perpetrator,” the Notice of Claim stated.

The court document said the abuse took place sometime between 1982 and 1990 at the St. Ann’s Catholic Church.

However, the court document didn’t specify which location for St. Ann’s Catholic Church which there are many within the Kamloops diocese. The diocese covers an area stretching from the Cariboo, south to the Okanagan, and from the Shuswap to Whistler.

The victim’s lawyer didn’t respond to iNFOnews.ca’s request to clarify where in the Kamloops diocese the alleged abuse took place.

“The perpetrator willfully and/or negligently inflicted pain and suffering, mental suffering, humiliation, and degradation upon the (victim) sexually assaulted (her) and interfered with (her) normal childhood, development, and future relationships solely for the purpose of his own gratification,” the court documents said.

The plaintiff is named in the suit, but iNFOnews.ca chose not to identify them as they have not given their consent to be identified. As the priest has not responded to the allegations we have chosen to not name him.

The woman claimed the Bishop of Kamloops as head of the church failed to protect her.

“The (Bishop of Kamloops) was granted a position of power and authority to the perpetrator within the Church, turning the perpetrator into a trusted authority figure to the (victim’s) family,” the court document read.

The victim continued to say the church fostered a system where reporting the abuse would be considered wrong and would result in retaliation.

“(The church) denied the existence, or alternatively, was willfully blind to the existence of the wrongful behaviour… (and) implemented and maintained a system which was designed to cover up the existence of such behaviour, if such behaviours were ever reported,” the court document read.

The Notice of Claim said the historic abuse has had long-lasting negative effects on the victim and left her with PTSD, depression and anxiety.

The abuse caused the victim to drop out of school and later become an addict.

The documents said they suffer from “shame, guilt, low self-esteem, and feelings of worthlessness,” along with “sexual dysfunction” and a mistrust of men.

In an email to iNFOnews.ca, spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kamloops, Linda Filek, said it was unable to comment because it was in front of the courts, but that the church was deeply committed to ensuring that all claims of historic abuse were handled with the utmost fairness, respect and compassion.

She said the Diocese had information online for reporting claims involving the church.

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

The case is the second filed this year against the Kamloops Catholic Church.

In March, a woman alleged she was sexually abused by a priest at the Merritt’s Catholic church more than 50 years ago.

In 2020, the Archdiocese of Kamloops was ordered to pay $850,000 for turning a blind eye when a former teacher had an unwanted sexual relationship with “playboy” priest Father Erlindo Molon in the 1970s.

None of the current allegations have been proven in court.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has a Reporting and Resources for Victims webpage here.

NOTE TO READERS: If you find yourself in need of support please contact one of these organizations. Access to barrier-free, non-judgmental support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• National Suicide Crisis Helpline: 9-8-8 (call or text)
• BC Mental Health & Crisis Response 310-6789 (no area code needed)
• BC Suicide Prevention and Intervention Line: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)