Lawsuit claims sexual abuse by Forces priest

Hundreds of children were mentally, physically and sexually abused by a Canadian Armed Forces priest, a class-action lawsuit filed by two Calgary lawyers claims.

In the legal action, filed in Calgary Court of Queen's Bench, lawyers Clint Docken and Mathew Farrell seek compensation for Bobbie Bees and others who were abused by Capt. Angus Mcrae, a priest who worked as a chaplain at various military bases.

The lawsuit, which names the federal Crown as defendant, says Bees, the representative plaintiff in the case, grew up on various military bases and lived at CFB Namao in Edmonton from 1978 to 1980.

“Throughout the plaintiff's time on the Canadian Forces Base Namao, the plaintiff was subjected to numerous cases of mental, physical and sexual abuse by Captain Father Angus Mcrae ... and his alter boy P.S.,” the statement of claim says. It says Mcrae, who died in 2011, was a military officer beginning in 1973.

“In his position as an officer, Mcrae was in a position of power over the many underaged children living on the Canadian Armed Forces Base Namao. Mcrae used this position of power, granted to him by the defendant, Canada, to abuse hundreds of children mentally, physically and sexually.”

The claim says the federal government was responsible for Mcrae's abusive behaviour at bases where he was deployed throughout the country.

“The defendant, Canada, knew or ought to have known of the physical, sexual and mental abuse, which with plaintiffs were subjected to at the Canadian Forces Base Namao and other Canadian Forces bases across the country. The defendant, Canada, failed and neglected to prevent the physical and mental abuse of the plaintiffs,” it says.