The lawsuit names the late Fr. Jean Gravel, who was defrocked in 1970 following his conviction on unspecified criminal charges in the late 1960s.
“Under the cover of mentoring and spiritual guidance, Fr. Gravel violated the innocence of ‘John’ and ravaged his body and his soul,” said a statement from Becket Personal Injury Lawyers.
According to court documents, the abuse began when John was eight years old and lasted for seven years. In addition to being the boy’s uncle and parish priest, Gravel was also John’s Godfather.
Gravel, who served in several parishes in the archdiocese, committed suicide in 1980.
“John would like to hear from others whose lives were impacted by Fr. Gravel,” the statement says. “He knows that there must be others for Gravel’s appetite could not have been satisfied by only one. Gravel had the characteristics of an uninhibited abuser.”
The statement notes Gravel’s priesthood ended abruptly, “a rare event for even an abusive priest,” and that John needs to fit the pieces of the puzzle together for his “life-long journey of recovery.”
“John’s painful story is a reminder that most sexual abuse against a minor is committed by a family member, or a close family friend,” said the Ottawa Vicar General Msgr. Kevin Beach in a Sept. 17 statement. “By the facts known to us, it appears that the late Jean Gravel had access to John, not by virtue of his role as a priest or pastor, but by reason of his being a member of the Gravel family."
“Jean Gravel’s story is tragic as it is scandalous,” Beach said. “Ordained a priest in 1950, he exhibited behavioural problems which required diocesan authorities of the time to intervene, seeking his correction and rehabilitation. After criminal charges and a trial leading to Gravel’s conviction in the late 1960s, the archbishop of Ottawa of the time, the late Joseph-Aurèle Plourde, successfully petitioned the Vatican to have Gravel dismissed from the clerical state ('laicized') in 1970,” he said.
John approached the archdiocese three years ago to report the abuse.
“There he found a sympathetic ear and willingness to assist him into critically required counselling,” the Beckett statement said, noting the Ontario Criminal Compensation Board examined the evidence and ruled the “abuse had occurred.” Criminal charges were not an option because Gravel was dead.
“As John mentioned in his public statement, we listened to his painful story with a sympathetic ear,” said Beach. “That is more than three years ago. Since that time, on the basis of pastoral care and not on the basis of legal liability, we have assisted John in his search for healing.
“In the resolution of any claim of abuse, we ask victims to seek independent legal advice,” the vicar general said. “It appears that John, with the advice of his lawyer, has decided to sue the archdiocese rather than settle the matter without litigation. We will engage in the process, seeking a just solution that addresses John’s circumstances.”
Beach quoted Archbishop Terrence Prendergast who has said on previous occasions: ‘”Our diocese is committed to creating a safe environment in the Church for minors and other vulnerable persons.’”
According to the legal documents, the plaintiff JDB seeks $350,000 for pain and suffering, $1 million for “past and future pecuniary damages,” $1 million in specified damages, aggravated damages of $50,000 and punitive damages of $500,000.
The document lists repeated sexual, physical and verbal abuse of the plaintiff, including behaviour to make John “feel that he was special in the eyes of Gravel, the Church and God,” and to make him “feel that his soul was in jeopardy.”
The document claims the archdiocese knew Gravel “had the propensity to engage in such behaviours,” took no steps to protect the plaintiff and instead attempted to “cover-up.”
John has suffered a range of problems from severe depression, sexual dysfunction, post-traumatic stress and impaired employment and educational performance as a result of the seven years of abuse, the court documents say.