By Canadian Press

Catholic dioceses commission retired judge to look into sex abuse allegations

Mar 27, 2019 | 9:07 AM

MONTREAL — Church dioceses in Quebec have appointed a retired judge to assess the number of people alleging they were sexually abused as minors by Catholic clergy over almost seven decades.

The Archdiocese of the Catholic Church of Montreal says in a statement today that five dioceses have commissioned Anne-Marie Trahan to do an external audit of their archives.

It says the former judge of the Superior Court of Quebec will look at the “number and the nature of well-founded allegations of sexual abuse of minors made against Catholic clergy and mandated lay personnel from 1950 to the present.”

The statement says Archbishop Christian Lepine approached Trahan in order to find the truth and “shed light on past practices,” adding that she is expected to begin the audit in September.

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The review, which will focus on people working in the five diocesan parishes, services and institutions, is expected to take up to two years.

It says Trahan accepted the role after being assured she would have access to the required files covering the nearly 70-year period, and that the findings will be published.

The Canadian Press