Legal report shows Liberal government denying residential school survivors justice

OTTAWA – Today, NDP MP Charlie Angus stood with survivors of the St. Anne’s residential school, to demand that Justin Trudeau meet with them about the miscarriage of justice they suffered at the hands of the federal government. An internal analysis by Justice Pitfield into the handling of the St. Anne’s child abuse cases reveals that most of the cases were heard without important evidence that the government suppressed. At least 81 cases will need to be re-examined.

“What happened to the St. Anne’s survivors is absolutely unacceptable. They have endured so much and still they aren’t getting the justice they deserve. And we see no effort from the Prime Minister to reach out to the survivors or to ensure that their legal rights are protected,” said Angus. “Justice Pitfield’s report shows that survivors have been put through endless legal battles on this Prime Minister’s watch. Sadly, this is just a glimpse into the denial of justice residential school survivors have faced from the federal government.”

St. Anne’s survivor, Evelyn Korkmaz, says she wants Justin Trudeau to explain how he will address this massive miscarriage of justice. She also wants answers about why they are refusing to turn over Person of Interest Reports (POI) that would allow survivors to have closure on their files.

“What kind of system do we have in Canada when the government denies justice in cases of horrific child abuse?” asked Korkmaz. “The Prime Minister needs to tell us why he is siding with the Church officials and perpetrators of these crimes. He needs to do the right thing and end the cover up. It is time to sit down with the St. Anne’s survivors so they can have justice and closure for the crimes committed by the Catholic Church and Canada.”