ALBAWABA - The Catholic Church in Canada has been ordered to pay approximately $76 million in compensation to victims of sexual and physical abuse in the Newfoundland region.
A court ruling mandates that the church compensate more than 200 individuals who suffered abuse in orphanages and schools under its jurisdiction.
The compensation covers cases dating back to the 1940s, with the church set to pay a total of $76 million to the victims.
These abuses occurred in church-run residential schools, which operated from the early 1880s until the last one closed in 1998. During this period, over 150,000 indigenous children were subjected to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse by priests, nuns, and other staff members.
Victims' attorney Geoff Budden told AFP, "People didn't really grasp the scale of the problem and how widespread the abuse was."
After declaring bankruptcy in 2021, the Archdiocese of St. John sold its assets to generate $40 million. Budden remained optimistic that the victims will obtain the entire court verdict, adding that other assets, including insurance products, must be processed.
From the early 1880s until 1998, church-run residential schools abused children. Priests, nuns, and other personnel abused nearly 150,000 indigenous children physically, sexually, and psychologically.
