September 16, 2020

Castanet reporter Tereza Verenca interviewed Bill Dick, Q.C. about the out-of-court settlement he reached on behalf of two Vernon brothers who survived sexual abuse by a Vernon priest when they were teenagers.

The article includes the letter written by the Bishop of Kamloops, Joseph Phuong Nguyen, urging people to break the silence around issues of sexual misconduct as a proactive way to prevent abuse.  Supporting other survivors to come forward was also a motivation for Bill’s clients.

As Bill notes,

“There has been traditionally a relatively low compensation amount for people who suffered sexual abuse. I think that’s changing with a recognition of just how devastating these things can be.”

In addition to compensation, the settlement included an apology meeting with the bothers’ and their parents.

Bill pointed out that,

“Parents aren’t part of the lawsuit but they’re part of consequences of these actions because it’s a horrendous amount of guilt that parents harbour when they invite someone like a priest into their home and the priest ends up abusing their children unbeknownst to them. … I thought it was really important to include all the family members as part of the settlement.”

Read the full article: Priest lawsuit settled. Vernon brothers sexually abused by priest reach settlement with Diocese of Kamloops.

 

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