The Institut des frères de notre dame de miséricorde is facing allegations of sexual abuse against young boys who had been entrusted to their care at the Institut Saint-Jean-Baptiste, an educational establishment located in Lac-Sergent, in Portneuf, near Quebec City. An application to authorize a class action lawsuit has been filed at the Quebec City Courthouse on behalf of two plaintiffs, identified as A.B. and C.D., acting as representatives of the group, and on behalf of a member of that group identified by the initials E.F. The claimants wish to represent all those who were allegedly sexually assaulted by members or employees of the Institute between its opening in 1939 and its closure in 1976. A.B. entered the Institute as a boarder in 1961 when he was 10 years old. He remained there for two years. After sustaining a sports injury that temporarily left him unable to use one hand, he asked Brother Jacques for help with his personal hygiene. After a few incidents without any problems, Brother Jacques is alleged to have begun to touch the child inappropriately. Headmaster allegedly took no action Following several similar incidents, A.B. went to see the headmaster of the establishment. The abuse stopped, but Brother Jacques faced no disciplinary action and remained in his post. C.D. was placed at the Institute as a boarder in 1967, when he was 13. He stayed there for two years. After a year, due to a difficult family situation, he spent the summer at a holiday camp run by the same religious order, where the children slept in tents. One of his teachers, Brother Mario, whom he trusted, is alleged to have sexually molested him on several occasions whilst they were in the tent. He then allegedly attempted to continue the abuse by taking him to a barn, claiming he wanted to help him with his poor academic results. When the boy refused, Brother Mario is said to have masturbated in front of him, promising him he would “have a bad year.” C.D. left the institution after subsequently failing his school year. C.D. later learned from his peers that Brother Mario was known amongst the boarders as an abuser, with some confiding in him that they too had been abused by the monk. Three alleged abusers As for the claimant E.F., he entered the Institute in 1971 at the age of 12 and was a boarder there for two years. During this period, he was allegedly sexually assaulted by Brother Richard, who was in charge of the cadets; by Brother Jacques, nicknamed at the time “the defrocked one;” and finally by a brother in charge of the infirmary, nicknamed “Brother Gelly.” The application to authorize the class-action is being led by the law firm Dufresne Wee. It alleges that the Institute failed to protect the children entrusted to its care, even though it was aware that assaults had taken place. The lawyer handling the case, Antoine Duranleau-Hendrickx, was unable to confirm whether the same Brother Jacques was involved in the cases of A.B. and E.F. He also considers it plausible that all the suspects are now deceased, given that they were all adults in the 1960s and early 1970s. The claimants are seeking sums yet to be determined for non-pecuniary damages, pecuniary damages and punitive damages. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 27, 2026. Pierre Saint-Arnaud, The Canadian Press
