In the early 1970s, a woman was sexually assaulted by a priest when she was a student at a Catholic school and was a part of the catholic church in the area. In 1996 the woman commenced a lawsuit against the priest and the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of London in Ontario. In 2000 she reached a settlement agreement with the priest and church for $100,000. Fast forward a couple of years to 2006 the priest plead guilty to sexually assaulting 47 girls under the age of 18. During the 2006 criminal trial, it was discovered that the church had received police statements in 1962 that the priest had assaulted three girls. This means that the church was aware of the priest’s behaviour before he sexually assaulted the woman and did nothing to stop it. When the woman found out about this she was upset. When she settled in 2000 she was told by the church that they were unaware of the priest’s prior abuse. Therefore in 2008, the woman commenced a new action to have the settlement agreement rescinded.
In 2020 a judge upheld a ruling to have the settlement agreement rescinded. The judge found that there was material misrepresentation by the Diocese which was grounds to have the settlement revoked. The woman was denied key information and given false information by the Diocese concerning important matters related to her case. She had settled for $100,000 in 2000 as she was under the impression that the diocese had no knowledge of the priest’s prior abuse. With the settlement rescinded she will now be able to commence a new action for a more appropriate settlement. The diocese was negligent. Their lack of action after receiving the police reports resulted in one if not more girls being sexually assaulted.
If you have been sexually assaulted contact our personal injury lawyers at Equilibrium law. We offer a free initial consultation and can help you explore your legal options. Let us help you get the justice you deserve.