'Culture of silence': New class action addresses sexual abuse at Manitoba youth facility

The proposed class-action lawsuit alleges sexual, psychological and sexual abuse by an organization tasked with helping Manitoba youth.

The details of the case are outlined in a complaint filed in May 2023, detailing the experiences of the two plaintiffs at Marymound, a home care facility for children and schools near Kildonan Park.

“For the children who live and attend Marymound, this practice has been persistent, unrelenting and unrelenting abuse,” the complaint, filed May 12, 2023, reads.

Province of Manitoba, Marymound Inc. and Reseau Compassion Network, the umbrella organization that oversees Marymound, as defendants in the case.

The plaintiffs in the case, which say both were at Marymound for several years in the mid-1990s, said staff at the group home often resorted to “arbitrary, excessive and coercive forms of physical punishment.” acts of sexual violence, forced starvation and lack of access to toilets.

“And nothing has been done about it,” said Alec Angle, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs in the case, “and (the plaintiffs) raised these concerns multiple times with Marymound staff, Department of Children and Family Services staff.” , and no measures were taken to protect them.”

The lawsuit also says there was a “culture of silence” at Marymound, where children were either reluctant to come forward with allegations of abuse or ignored altogether.

Child and family service agencies, described in the complaint as a “vulnerable segment of the community,” refer many children to Marymound. Most of Marymound's children are Indigenous.

“It's a situation where kids are completely disconnected from their family, from a normal childhood,” Angle said. “So there are echoes of the residential school system.”

The case must still be certified as a class action by the Manitoba Crown Court.

If the class action moves forward, the plaintiffs will seek damages, punitive damages and allege the province was negligent in its duty to the children in Marymound.

Anyone who attended Marymound from 1951 to the present can add their name to the class action.

“Our focus right now is making sure there's enough space for anyone who's been through these things to come forward and share their stories,” Angle said, noting that inquiries can be sent to [email protected]. .

Réseau Compassion Network confirmed that it is aware of the situation and will cooperate with any future legal proceedings.

The organization, which funds and manages sixteen Catholic organizations, said in a statement: “Any type of abuse against a person under the care of any organization affiliated with the Réseau Compassion Network, no matter when it occurs, is unacceptable.”

“As this complaint is pending before the courts, Réseau Compassion Network cannot comment further on this matter.”

The province of Manitoba also declined to comment while the case is in court.

None of the charges were proven in court.