A class-action lawsuit attempting to hold the federal government responsible for sexual abuse suffered by children at the hands of a military priest at an Edmonton army base has been certified in the Alberta courts.
The case alleges that the federal government allowed a Canadian Armed Forces chaplain, Capt. Angus McRae, to sexually abuse children who were living on armed forces bases with their families. McRae, who died in 2011, served at bases across Canada before he was convicted of sexual crimes against children.
The representative plaintiff, Bobby Bees of Vancouver, wants to hold the federal government accountable for failing to stop the abuse, the dark memories of which torment him daily.
“I went through so much hell,” said Bees, 52, in an interview with CBC. “My entire childhood after that was just torn apart.”
The $60-million claim seeks to hold the government liable for McRae’s misconduct, alleging that the Armed Forces knew or ought to have known about the abuse. Bees’s legal team, Calgary-based Napoli Shkolnik, is encouraging other victims of McRae to come forward.
Read the full article as reported by: CBC News, BishopAccountability.org and Calgary Herald.
