ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — The Supreme Court of Canada has refused a bid by the Roman Catholic archdiocese in St. John’s to appeal a ruling that found it liable for sexual abuse at the former Mount Cashel orphanage.
Thursday’s court decision ends a legal battle that first shook Newfoundland and Labrador decades ago. It also determines once and for all that the church has a responsibility to the victims of the abuse that took place at the notorious former orphanage, at the hands of the Christian Brothers in the 1950s.
Geoff Budden, lawyer for the four lead plaintiffs, said the decision represents a landmark day for the province. “It’s now a matter of proven law that the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation was closely involved in the operation of Mount Cashel and has legal responsibility for what happened within those walls,” he said in an interview Thursday. “That’s no longer an allegation or an accusation. That’s proven law.”
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