Canadian lawyers are applauding a precedent-setting judgment for decades-old child abuse in New Brunswick, saying it’s an important moment as more sex-abuse victims come forward to seek justice.
A 52-year-old woman was awarded almost 189-thousand dollars by the Court of Queen’s Bench, of which 125-thousand dollars was for pain and suffering.
Rob Talach, a London, Ontario-based injury lawyer, who deals with sexual assault cases across Canada, says the amount was impressive, because until the July ruling, the ceiling for such awards in New Brunswick was about 50-thousand dollars.
Talach said New Brunswick is moving in the right direction but is still well behind provinces like Nova Scotia, Ontario and British Columbia, where similar cases would result in awards of about 300-thousand dollars.
Moncton lawyer Rene LeBlanc said the publicity of cases involving the Catholic church and celebrities like Bill Cosby is prompting more people to come forward to report their own abuse.
He said many people didn’t realize they have a right to seek civil justice for something that happened to them as children.
LeBlanc said as the courts become more educated on the long-term affects of sexual assault, he believes it will be reflected in the dollars amounts that are awarded.
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