Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Merritt Reflects Wider Crisis in Catholic Dioceses
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Personal SubStack
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/03/29
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Merritt, British Columbia, of the Diocese of Kamloops had a lawsuit filed against it, in March of this year. The plaintiff attended the church as a child between 1971 and 1973, alleging sexual assault by a priest using authority and trust to “prey” on her.
The lawsuit asserts the diocese failed to protect her as a child. The priest–it is claimed–was insufficiently supervised, while there was neglect to discipline the abusive behaviour or document it.
The plaintiff alleges long-term psychological negative effects such as depression and PTSD resulting from this. These required repeated and ongoing medical treatment and counselling for this individual.
This allegation reflects broader trends within the Catholic Church regarding abuse. February 2025 had a settlement of $3.4 million out of the Catholic Diocese of Prince George with sexual abuse allegations spanning back to the 1990s. Victimized individuals like this person with the large settlement are victims, but should not be confused with a movement defined by victimhood, in sociopolitical culture wars.
We’re dealing with large-scale trends bound to individual narratives with some growing to class-action lawsuits. The centrality of victims in these stories isn’t about victimhood qua victimhood, which doesn’t permit healing based on the research. It’s about individual justice, healing, surviving and thriving.
This story, too, reflects the 2020 narrative of two brothers from Vernon who reached a settlement with the Diocese of Kamloops based on allegations of abuse by a priest when they were boys.
We should be vigilant of false allegations. However, the majority of cases coming forward by a vast margin are real: Both deserve attention and justice, but the vigilance and consideration should be apportioned accordingly.
So it goes.
With files from CityNews, Winnipeg Free Press, Kamloops BC Now, Castanet, and more.
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