Ex-teacher, retired priest named in separate lawsuits involving historical sex crime accusations
Free Press - February 25, 2026
Winnipeg, MB - A former teacher and a retired priest, who both were previously brought before Manitoba criminal courts on sex crime charges, have been accused in separate lawsuits over historical sexual abuse allegations.
Retired Catholic priest Arthur Masse and former teacher Kenneth MacKinnon Mealey have been accused of sex assaults in lawsuits recently filed in the Court of King’s Bench by a Vancouver law firm that specializes in alleged sex abuse cases, Prezler Law.
CBC - March 18, 2026 Winnipeg, MB - A now-dead Catholic priest is accused of repeated sexual abuse of a boy in a rural Manitoba community in a lawsuit filed in the Court of King's Bench in Winnipeg. A statement of claim was filed March 6 against the estate of Father Eugene Verhulst and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg. The 47-year-old plaintiff alleges in the statement of claim that he endured inappropriate touching by Verhulst and was made to perform oral and anal sex from approximately age 10 to 12. The archdiocese failed to act and protect the boy when it knew or ought to have known or was willfully blind to the abuse, the claim says, making the archdiocese vicariously liable for the abuse. The man, who now lives in B.C., is seeking general damages, special damages, punitive damages, aggravated damages, exemplary damages and damages for breach of fiduciary duty.
Bishop Accountability - March 13, 2026 St. John's, NL - Lawyers representing Catholic Church abuse survivors in Newfoundland and Labrador say a new agreement with an unnamed third party is “substantial” and marks a significant step toward further compensation, though details will not be public until late April. St. John’s lawyer Bob Buckingham said money from the agreement could begin flowing by the end of the summer, calling it a positive development for survivors. Justice Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer declined to comment when asked if the provincial government was involved, citing respect for judicial independence. The agreement arises from the ongoing insolvency proceedings of the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s, which has been under creditor protection since 2021. More than 300 survivors are part of a court-approved $121 million settlement, with about $37 million paid so far through church asset sales and a previous government deal involving school properties. Lawyers say while the new agreement will not eliminate the remaining shortfall, negotiations with other third parties and insurers are continuing to maximize compensation for survivors.