Nun, 97, at former Ontario residential school arrested in sexual-assault case

Former northern residential school nun charged A 97-year-old former nun who worked at residential schools in northern Ontario is charged with sexual assault dating to the 1960s and 70s.

A 97-year-old nun has been arrested and charged in a sexual-assault case involving allegations dating back decades to an infamous residential school in northern Ontario.

Ontario Provincial Police said Francoise Seguin of Ottawa was arrested this week after an individual contacted them in late 2022 about the alleged incidents.

The incidents are alleged to have taken place in the 1960s and 70s at St. Anne's residential school in Fort Albany First Nation and Bishop Belleau school in Moosonee, Ont., as well as a detention facility in Sudbury, Ont., said OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson.

"The case involved one victim," said Dickson, noting the individual was a "young person" at the time of the alleged incidents.

"We are not aware of any others but cannot speculate."

St. Anne's operated in Fort Albany until 1967 and survivors have said children at the school were sexually abused, punished with shocks delivered by electric chairs and forced to eat their own vomit.

A group of survivors from the residential school had been fighting the federal government for a decade to release thousands of records they believed detailed abuse at St. Anne's, which could have helped with federal compensation for those who suffered physical and sexual abuse at the institution. The Supreme Court of Canada said in 2022 it would not hear their case.

Four former staff members have been convicted on charges such as indecent assault, assault causing bodily harm, assault and administering a noxious substance, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation said on its website.

Seguin has been charged with three counts of gross indecency, a repealed Criminal Code offence originating from antiquated sodomy laws, used today in some historical sexual-assault cases. The allegations have not yet been proven in court.

The nun and former teacher is scheduled to appear in court in Moosonee on Dec. 5.

– This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2023.

Resources for sexual assault survivors in Canada

If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:

If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety, you should call 911.

A full list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling can be found at ReeseCommunity.com. Resources in your community can be found by entering your postal code.

Helplines, legal services and locations that offer sexual assault kits in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia can be found here.

Read about your rights as a victim here.