Shuttered B.C. girls school described as ‘house of horror’ at centre of class action lawsuit

A B.C. Supreme Court has certified a class action lawsuit against the provincial and federal governments, and a doctor, alleging widespread physical, sexual, and mental abuse at the Willingdon School for Girls (formerly the Industrial School for Girls), which operated from 1914 to 1973. The lawsuit, brought by two surviving attendees, details allegations including forced sterilization, genital examinations without consent, prolonged solitary confinement, and forced cultural assimilation, particularly for Indigenous girls who were disproportionately represented among the detainees. Plaintiffs’ lawyer Patrick Dudding described the alleged conditions as a combination of a residential school and a child’s prison, with abuses amounting to “punishment more severe than we would think is acceptable for hardened adult criminals.”

The court’s decision highlights the historical context, noting the 1908 Juvenile Delinquents’ Act allowed for commitment to industrial schools to correct “evil tendencies.” Girls were often committed for offenses like “incorrigibility” and “sexual immorality,” which included homosexuality. Internal documentation referred to the school as a “house of horror,” and Indigenous girls faced deliberate attempts to extinguish their cultural identities. The claim details prison-like conditions, including strict surveillance, forced haircuts, and repurposed prison cages.

The lawsuit alleges abuse was perpetrated by staff and began immediately upon detention. While the defendants sought to have the claims dismissed, the court allowed several claims to proceed, including breach of fiduciary duty, misfeasance in public office, and breach of constitutional duties and Aboriginal rights for Indigenous class members. Dudding hailed the decision as a significant step towards justice for the now-elderly survivors.

(Source：CP24 Toronto)