The Alberta government and the Anglican Church have accepted vicarious liability for sexual assaults that the late priest Gordon William Dominey is proven to have committed against men who say they were abused at an Edmonton youth jail. Their admission came at a brief hearing last week in Edmonton Court of King’s Bench. Avnish Nanda, the survivors’ lawyer, said both defendants are delaying compensation and have so far refused to pay anything.

The case concerns alleged abuse of children incarcerated at the Edmonton Youth Development Centre between 1985 and 1990. Dominey worked as a priest at the facility, which has since been demolished. The court later certified a class-action lawsuit against the provincial government and the Anglican Church on behalf of men who claimed Dominey abused them.

The defendants conceded liability for “any sexual assaults Gordon William Dominey is proven to have committed against the class members,” according to the account of Tuesday’s hearing. Nanda criticized the time taken to reach that position, saying the government and church should have acknowledged liability earlier.

“They should have acknowledged this at the outset, when criminal charges were laid by the Alberta government, rather than wasting a decade and putting survivors through so much trauma and grief, to reach this inevitable result,” Nanda said.

Dominey was first charged in 2016 with historical sexual abuse at the youth centre. At its peak, the criminal case involved 15 complainants and more than 30 charges. He died of cancer in 2019 before the case could go to trial.

The criminal allegations and the civil action followed claims that Dominey had broad access to young people at the institution and limited oversight. Nanda previously said Dominey had “full rein” of the youth facility and that young people incarcerated there were encouraged to seek out his services.

A hearing to determine damages has not yet been scheduled. Nanda said the Alberta government and the Anglican Church are refusing to pay compensation so far. The Anglican Diocese of Edmonton and the provincial government both declined to comment, saying the case is before the courts.

Based on reporting by Edmonton Journal.