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Plaintiffs say they were sexually assaulted by parish priests starting in the 1950s and 1960s when they were aged 14 and 12, respectively.Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press
A Quebec law firm says a provincial Superior Court judge has approved a historic $31.5-million settlement for sexual assault claimants in a class-action lawsuit against the Quebec City archdiocese.
The greenlit agreement ends a years-long legal saga for claimants who say they were sexually abused by priests and employees of the Catholic organization going back to 1940.
Plaintiffs Gaétan Bégin and Pierre Bolduc, who spearheaded the class action, say they were sexually assaulted by parish priests starting in the 1950s and 1960s when they were aged 14 and 12, respectively.
Scores of alleged victims – both men and women – have said they plan to participate in the case.
The Dufresne Wee law firm says victims have 90 days to submit a claim outlining the alleged abuse and how it affected their lives.
The amount paid out to recipients will be determined by two retired judges. The firm says the Quebec City archdiocese will issue a letter of apology to each victim whose claim is accepted.