The Supreme Court of Canada will hear an appeal from Montreal’s iconic Saint Joseph’s Oratory which seeks to exclude the institution from a sexual assault class action suit.
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The Quebec Court of Appeal had allowed the suit against the oratory and the Congregation of Holy Cross for alleged sexual abuse.
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The oratory was included in the suit amid allegations that some of the abuse occurred there.
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The Congregation of Holy Cross apologized and paid up to $18 million in 2013 in a mediated, out-of-court settlement to compensate victims for abuse that occurred at three Quebec institutions, not including the oratory, over a five-decade span.
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A spokesman for a victims’ rights group says the landmark settlement prompted about 40 new alleged victims to come forward, resulting in the class action suit.
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As usual in leaves to appeal, the Supreme Court gave no reasons for deciding to hear the appeal.
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