ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A class action lawsuit, certified last month, alleges the government of Newfoundland and Labrador ignored sexual abuse suffered by children living in government-run institutions during the 1970s and 1980s.
The statement of claim filed on behalf of three representatives says class members were abused by staff, other residents and visitors to the institutions between May 1973 and June 1989.
It claims the government's repeated failure to acknowledge and respond to reported incidents of sexual abuse amounts to systemic, wilful negligence, justifying punitive damages.
The minors living in the institutions, similar to youth penitentiaries, were considered juvenile delinquents or "neglected wards" who were held under child welfare legislation.
St. John's lawyer Lynn Moore says approximately 70 people have reached out so far. Affected people living in Newfoundland and Labrador are automatically included in the class, while those living in other parts of Canada must register as claimants.
A statement from the provincial Department of Justice and Public Safety says the province consented to the class action proceeding but says that does not indicate admission of liability.