Two Quebec women raped by foster father will sue child protection services: lawyer
MONTREAL — Two women who were sexually assaulted by the same foster father 16 years apart plan to sue the regional health authority in Quebec City, their lawyer said Thursday.
Valérie Assouline said the local youth protection service — run by the health authority — needs to be held responsible for ignoring the first child when she reported her assault and for placing other children in the home for years.
“When stories like this happen, and we try to put it under the carpet and not get accountability, well it won’t happen anymore,” Assouline said in an interview. “I want to make sure that (youth protection) knows it won’t happen anymore.”
Assouline said that on two occasions in 2004, her client, who was 12 at the time, was drugged and woke up naked inside the home of Éric Jean, her foster father. The child told one of Jean’s family members what happened, and in response, was told not to drink any coffees offered to her by the man.