ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s, N.L., is not liable for abuse in the 1950s at the notorious Mount Cashel orphanage because a senior priest likely didn’t believe boys who reported it, a judge ruled Tuesday. It alleged Roman Catholic Church officials did nothing to stop the often sadistic sexual and physical attacks by Christian Brothers who preyed on vulnerable boys at the once-iconic orphanage in St. John’s. The Archdiocese of St. John’s has repeatedly said it sympathizes with those victims, but was never responsible for the orphanage or the school. Gemma Hickey, a clergy abuse survivor who founded The Pathways Foundation in St. John’s to support other survivors, watched the trial closely. “Allowing the force of an alleged reputation to override actual notice from extremely vulnerable children is very concerning to me.

Source: thestar March 20, 2018 21:11 UTC