Parents who forced their daughters under the age of 10 to work nights and subjected them to psychological and sexual violence have been ordered in a civil court to pay them $225,000 for this mistreatment, which lasted for years.
“While the past cannot be erased, the court hopes that this judgment will contribute to the need for reparation sought by [les deux sœurs] and will allow them to continue on their path with courage,” recently commented Judge David E. Roberge at the Saint-Jérôme courthouse.
He was speaking about the lawsuit filed by two sisters, now adults, who say they were subjected to “psychological torture” as children in the 1990s by their parents. The identities of the couple’s children are under a publication ban, so the parents cannot be named.
Sleep interrupted
That’s because from the age of about 8, the two girls were forced to work for their parents, who were subcontractors in the distribution of printed matter. According to our information, they delivered catalogs, including the Sears catalog, as well as newspapers such as The Montreal Journal et The Press.
They worked nights and weekends, so when the two girls had to accompany them, no one saw them.
“Having a disrupted sleep schedule, [une des filles] explains that she is tired all the time, suffering from dizziness and nosebleeds,” the decision reads.
In the summer, this girl could hardly drink water so as not to have to urinate, while in the winter she had no suitable clothing, even if she had to be outside.
“She doesn’t like working at night, but she doesn’t dare to tell her father that she doesn’t want to, because saying no is not allowed,” the judge said. “Not allowed to cry, she wipes her tears and continues.”
Worse at home
But if the situation was difficult during this forced labor, it was no better at home, with the father who regularly threatened or denigrated them.
Added to this was a climate of sexual violence, with sexual remarks and behaviour from the parents in front of their daughters, even inviting one of them to “become a prostitute, if she wanted to”. The little girl was only 12 years old.
During a camping trip, his father had explained to him his mother’s sexual preferences. On other occasions, he switched from hockey to porn on television, even though his children were present.
“The preponderance of evidence supports that they were exposed to inappropriate sexual comments and behavior from the defendants, on a repeated basis,” the judge concluded, despite the parents’ denials.
Special case
Recalling that this is a “special case” and that “regrettable incidents can sometimes occur in most families,” the judge nevertheless concluded that there was an accumulation of violence such that the children were justified in suing their parents in civil court. The latter were thus ordered to pay them $225,000. The two girls may, however, have to wait before receiving the amount, since the parents have decided that things will not stop there.
“We respectfully disagree with the judge’s decision,” explained the parents’ lawyer, Guillaume Phaneuf, stating that his clients would appeal the case.
Do you have any information to share with us about this story?
Write to us at or call us directly at 1 800-63SCOOP.
