Winnipeg man who alleges 2 Catholic priests sexually abused him as a child sues Archdiocese of St. Boniface
CBC
WARNING: The following story contains distressing details of sexual abuse of a child.
A man who alleges two Catholic priests sexually abused him as a child three decades ago is taking the Archdiocese of St. Boniface to court.
The Winnipeg man, now 44, is suing the Archdiocese of St. Boniface, the archbishop of St. Boniface and the Red River Valley School Division.
The man alleges the abuses happened in 1990 and 1991 when he was a student at St. Jean Baptiste Elementary, then a part of the Red River Valley School Division.
He attended the school from 1984 to 1992, according to the lawsuit filed in Manitoba's Court of King's Bench on May 15.
The man was also a member of St. Jean Baptiste Church, court documents say, management of which fell under the purview of the Archdiocese of St. Boniface.
CBC News is not reporting the name of the man because the alleged assaults happened when he was a minor. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
The lawsuit accuses two priests — Leo Couture and Rene Touchette — of sexual assault.
It notes Touchette is deceased and names Couture as a defendant. However, Couture died at the age of 92 a few days before the court document was filed, Radio-Canada reported.
Both men were priests at the St. Jean Baptise church and had "unfettered access to students" at the school, the lawsuit alleges.
The plaintiff was "dependent on, took instruction from and was required to submit to" both men, the court filing says.
The lawsuit says Touchette was involved in sexual assaults in Somerset, Man., and then transferred by the archdiocese to the St. Jean Baptiste church. That's when the man alleges Touchette sexually assaulted him.
Touchette was removed from St. Jean Baptiste Elementary and the St. Jean Baptiste church in 1990.
He was charged in 1992 and convicted in 1993 of sexual assault in connection with Somerset incidents, the lawsuit says.
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