Confidential settlement reached in abuse suit against priest

Bishop Accountability - March 28, 2026


Winnipeg, MB - Lawyers for a man who alleged he was repeatedly sexually assaulted as a child by a now-dead Catholic priest in rural Manitoba and Winnipeg in a 2023 lawsuit recently reached a confidential settlement with the Archdiocese of St. Boniface.


The plaintiff, now in his early 60s, claimed the alleged abuse began when he was eight-years-old in 1972 and lasted until 1982. The man, who the Free Press is not naming due to the nature of the allegations, claimed the sexual abuse came at the hands of that church’s priest, Fr. Rene Touchette.


Several other lawsuits filed in recent years against the St. Boniface and Winnipeg archdioceses over alleged historical sex abuses by their priests remain before the court.


Read More

Catholic Priest in Oakville charged with sexual assault

By Patricia Grell • March 25, 2026
Oakville News - March 24, 2026 Oakville, ON - Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) have laid a sexual assault charge against an Oakville clergyman after receiving a complaint last month. Police released a statement earlier today saying that authorities have charged a Catholic Priest employed in Oakville with sexual assault following a month-long investigation. In early February 2026, HRPS say they began an investigation into "an allegation of sexual assault committed against an adult female while the victim was volunteering at an Oakville church." As a result of the investigation, Reverend Ranjan D’Sa (53) of Oakville has been charged with one count of Sexual Assault.

Cardinal Ouellet Faces Defamation Lawsuit in Canadian Court Over Abuse Allegations

By Patricia Grell • March 20, 2026
Zenit - March 18, 2026 Montreal, QC - In Montreal this March, Cardinal Marc Ouellet appeared in Quebec Superior Court to defend himself against allegations of sexual misconduct, as part of a broader defamation lawsuit he filed against his accuser. The case has reopened attention to a series of claims first publicized in a 2022 class-action lawsuit involving 101 individuals alleging abuse by clergy or staff within the Archdiocese of Quebec. The case is unfolding at a moment of heightened attention to accountability within the Catholic Church in Canada, highlighting the complexities of balancing legal rights, canonical procedures, and the reputational and moral stakes for high-ranking clerics. Observers note that the trial’s outcome could have ramifications for how allegations of misconduct are addressed both in civil courts and within Church structures, particularly in cases involving defamation claims intertwined with historical abuse allegations.
More Posts