The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Response of the Newfoundland Criminal Justice System to Complaints also known as the Hughes Inquiry was a Canadian
royal commission chaired by a retired judge,
Samuel Hughes
Sir Samuel Hughes, (January 8, 1853 – August 23, 1921) was the Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence during World War I. He was notable for being the last Liberal-Conservative cabinet minister, until he was dismissed from his cabinet post ...
, launched after allegations of sexual abuse by members of the
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers ( la, Congregatio Fratrum Christianorum; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice.
Their first school was opened in Waterford, Ireland, ...
at
Mount Cashel Orphanage
The Mount Cashel Orphanage, known locally as the Mount Cashel Boys' Home, was a boys' orphanage located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The orphanage was operated by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, and became infamous for ...
in Newfoundland. The commission began inquiry investigations on 1 June 1989 and published its report in April 1992.
Description
Further investigations followed into allegations at other institutions across Canada. The inquiry concluded that officials had transferred offenders and covered up the sexual abuse at Mount Cashel. It recommended that victims be compensated.
There was insufficient evidence to charge church and government officials with obstructing justice. Eleven Christian Brothers were eventually convicted and sentenced to between 4 months and 11 years in prison.
[Notorious Mount Cashel orphanage to close]
CBC Archives, Nov. 27, 1989. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
The orphanage was closed in 1990,
CBC News, Friday, May 28, 2004. Retrieved January 31, 2008. and on April 5, 1992, the Brothers formally apologised to the victims of abuse at Mount Cashel.[
The fight to compensate the victims of Mount Cashel lasted for many years and in 1996 the Newfoundland government paid $11.5 million in compensation. The courts ordered the assets of the Brothers sold to compensate the victims, who were to receive between $20,000 and $600,000 each in compensation.
]
See also
* Mount Cashel Orphanage
The Mount Cashel Orphanage, known locally as the Mount Cashel Boys' Home, was a boys' orphanage located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The orphanage was operated by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, and became infamous for ...
* Sexual abuse scandal in St. John's archdiocese
* '' The Boys of St. Vincent'', a movie based on the scandal
References
{{SACC, state=collapsed
Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador law
Canadian commissions and inquiries
1990s in Newfoundland and Labrador
Child sexual abuse in Canada