AMC Calls for Justice as New Class Action Alleges Abuse Violations at Marymound Youth Facility
February 8, 2024
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba
AMC Communications
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) stands with the individuals who have come forward and revealed allegations of abuse violations at the Marymound Youth Facility and supports the calls for justice on a new class action. The proposed class action lawsuit states that youth attending Marymound have come forward, facing violations of physical, mental, and sexual abuse.
Grand Chief Cathy Merrick states, “There is an urgent need to address the crisis faced by First Nations children in the Child and Family Services (CFS) system. The CFS system plays a vital role in safeguarding the safety and well-being of families and children. Its existence ensures that vulnerable families and children are protected and provided with the necessary support. However, the devastating outcomes faced by many First Nations youth when they leave this system need to be addressed immediately. It is time to stop the cycle of abuse that is harming First Nations children in this broken CFS model. It is heartbreaking that there were no steps taken to protect the children in this facility created to ‘protect’ them.”
Marymound is a school, addiction recovery unit, and group home facility where referrals are made through CFS. Marymound was formed in 1911 as an alternative to prison for young women and girls, operating under different names over time. The youth facility has a budget of over $21 million to provide youth and family social programs and services operating in Winnipeg and Thompson, Manitoba. According to CTV news, survivors attending the facility for years in the mid-1990s came forward facing “arbitrary, excessive, and coercive forms of physical punishment that included acts of sexual assault, forced starvation, and lack of access to toilets.” The defendants in the case include the Province of Manitoba and Reseau Compassion Network, which oversees Marymound Inc.
“The lawsuit and complaints echo the experiences of victims and survivors attending Residential Schools, where children and youth lived in confinement, disconnected from their families and Nations. The lawsuit has brought forward concerns regarding a “culture of silence,” where children were allegedly dissuaded from reporting abuse allegations. These children and youth deserve justice and their voices to be heard,” stated Grand Chief Merrick.
The AMC demands justice for the silenced youth against all parties involved in this negligence and offers prayers of strength for the children and families impacted. Anyone who attended Marymound from 1951 to the present can come forward to address concerns of abuse by contacting the legal team.
Marymound Class Action Lawsuit Contact Information:
1(888)502-7460 or MARYMOUNDCLASSACTION@KMLAW.CA
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For more information, please contact:
Communications Team
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
Email: media@manitobachiefs.com
About the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
The AMC was formed in 1988 by the Chiefs in Manitoba to advocate on issues that commonly affect First Nations in Manitoba. AMC is an authorized representative of 62 of the 63 First Nations in Manitoba with a total of more than 171,000 First Nation citizens in the province, accounting for approximately 12 percent of the provincial population. AMC represents a diversity of Anishinaabe (Ojibway), Nehetho / Ininew (Cree), Anishininew (Ojibwe-Cree), Denesuline (Dene) and Dakota Oyate (Dakota) peoples.