Former nun, 97, charged in historical sexual assaults at northern Ont. residential schools
A 97-year-old Ottawa woman is facing charges involving sexual assault allegations at northern Ontario residential and day schools in the 1960s and 70s.
Ontario Provincial Police started investigating after receiving a complaint from an individual in late 2022, OPP said in a news release Thursday.
The sexual assaults allegedly occurred in Fort Albany, Moosonee and a detention facility in Sudbury.
Officers with the James Bay OPP crime unit charged Francoise Seguin on Oct. 11 with three counts of gross indecency, a criminal offence repealed in 1987.
The penalty for the historical offence is prison time of up to five years.
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The former nun/teacher is scheduled to appear in court in Moosonee on Dec. 5, police said.
OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson told CTV News in an email the facilities where the incidents reportedly occurred were "St. Anne's and Bishop Belleau School."
St. Anne's residential school operated in Fort Albany from 1906 to 1976.
"Four former staff members have been convicted on charges that include indecent assault, assault causing bodily harm, assault and administering a noxious substance," the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation said about St. Anne's.
The most recent allegations have not been proven in court.
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.
- National Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
- 24-hour crisis line: 1-416-597-8808
- Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010
- Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366
- Sexual misconduct support for current or former members of the Armed Forces: 1-844-750-1648
Read about your rights as a victim here.
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