Scouts Canada & Girl Guides Abuse
Moving forward after being abused as a youth in the Scouts or Guides
Institutional abuse consists of psychological, physical, or sexual mistreatment towards someone in an organizational setting, such as the groups that collectively make up the scouting movement. Although people of all ages could be victims of institutional abuse, perhaps the most notorious and most serious cases have involved children and teenagers.
The scouting movement has a long and storied history, being arguably the most famous and historically widespread organizations for young people in Canada. As of 2024, Scouts Canada states that more than 42,000 youths participate in its programs, with the help of 13,000 volunteers.
Unfortunately, many who entered the Scouts’ ranks as adult leaders betrayed the trust placed in them over others through the years. This sadly led to sexual abuse of children. Scouts unfortunately did not report all of the sexual abuse to the police.
Membership in Scouts Canada was historically male-only, though it has been open on a coed basis since the 1990s. Alongside Scouts, the similarly organized Girl Guides of Canada has run programs for female youths for nearly as long, with a history beginning in the early 1900s.
In British Columbia, if you were abused as a scout or guide, you may be able to hold the parties who caused or allowed that abuse accountable in civil court, regardless of when it occurred.
If this applies to you, it is possible to pursue a claim for compensation to make up for the losses you have suffered due to the institutional abuse. Preszler Injury is available to assist you with a respectful, trauma-informed approach if you are ready to ensure you receive the compensation you are owed and, whenever possible, a written apology.
Is it too late to seek justice?
No.
For most types of legal claims, the statute of limitations applies. This statute defines how long someone has to file a claim in court. Generally speaking, in B.C., the limit is 24 months with an absolute limit of 15 years. The limitation is extended for children until the age of 21 and can be extended in other circumstances as well.
However, there is no limitation period for cased based on sexual assault of children or adults or for the physical assault of children. This means that people who were sexually assaulted as children can bring their claim anytime. In fact, most clients do not start a legal claim for compensation until decades after the abuse happens. Most of our clients who were abused as children do not hire us until they are in their 50s, 60s, 70s, or even 80s. The B.C. government has taken steps to ensure that, whenever survivors do feel ready to speak out, the system is ready to listen.
Which scout group members do you represent in institutional abuse claims?
Scout troops are divided into several age groups, ranging from young children to teenagers.
Eligible groups within Scouts Canada include:
- Venturer Scouts (Ages 15 to 17)
- Boy Scouts (Ages 11 to 14)
- Cub Scouts (Ages 8 to 10)
- Beaver Scouts (Ages 5 to 7)
Eligible groups within Girl Guides of Canada include:
- Rangers (Ages 15-17)
- Pathfinders (Ages 12-14)
- Guides (Ages 9-11)
- Brownies and Embers (under age 9)
Our firm can handle cases against Girl Guides and scouts for all possible ages.
What is institutional abuse?
Institutional abuse is when someone from an organization, government or company uses their power to exploit, abuse or harm children. Common examples are abuse by scout leaders, religious leaders, teachers, or government employees such as police or corrections officers. The abuse may be psychological, physical, and sexual in nature.
Abusers may use intimidation, violence, blackmail, and manipulation to help abuse children or prevent them from reporting the abuse. Survivors of childhood sexual assault will often unfairly blame themselves or be too embarrassed to talk about the abuse. Abusers also often choose children who may be more vulnerable, such as children who live in poverty or have difficulty at home.
The institutions that hire or accept the perpetrators as volunteers without adequately checking backgrounds, or who fail to properly investigate when they received accusations of misconduct, have wronged the children they were supposed to be protecting and the institution is liable for their negligence.
The law also allows for “vicarious liability” against institutions, which means the institution is responsible for the wrongdoing of their employees, agent, or volunteers, even if the institution did not know it was happening, because the institution is the one who placed the child in contact with the abuser in the first place.
Common experiences of survivors
The consequences of institutional abuse are far-reaching and lasting.
One of the lawyers at Preszler Injury Lawyers presented a statement to the B.C. Supreme Court in August 2022 based on his experience as counsel to childhood sexual abuse plaintiffs.
He noted that many survivors are not ready to come forward until they are in their 50s or even later. Many find self-destructive ways to cope, such as isolating themselves and abusing substances. For better or worse, many survivors mistrust others, particularly authority figures, and have difficulty forming or keeping close relationships. The lifelong effects of their childhood pain are apparent.
Some experiences and circumstances that many abuse victims commonly face include:
- Pain and suffering from anxiety, PTSD, depression, sleep problems, etc
- Trouble with relationships and trusting people
- Bouncing from job to job throughout their careers
- Not being able to finish school or pursue post-secondary education
- Substance abuse
- Relationship difficulties with friends, family and spouses
- Distrust in authority
- Difficulty maintaining consistent employment
- Sexual identity issues
- Shame and guilt
- Interactions with law enforcement
- Homelessness
What can I do if I’ve been institutionally abused?
You do not have to report to the police unless or until you are ready to do so. You can instead make a civil claim for compensation you are owed.
The criminal justice system is quite different than the civil system where you seek compensation. It can be difficult to prove a sexual assault claim in the criminal justice system because the standard is “beyond a reasonable doubt”.
The civil system is different. The standard of proof for the civil system is “balance of probabilities” meaning more than 50% likely, which is a much easier standard than beyond a reasonable doubt.
If you do not feel ready to face the criminal justice process, civil courts operate under different rules and allow you to pursue a remedy tailored to your specific needs.
As noted above, Preszler Injury Lawyers can guide you throughout this process, handling steps such as requesting records from the Scouts or Guides and negotiating your compensation. After speaking with you and learning more about your specific circumstances, we can provide detailed, specific advice and recommendations as your legal counsel. We will give you advice on what your claim is worth and what you should settle for. But all decisions ultimately rest with you.
We are also able to refer you to numerous services available to abuse victims through non-profit and government sources, such as trauma counselling.
Is this a “class action”?
Preszler Injury Lawyers pursues individual legal actions only for institutional abuse clients. We believe that every survivor should be able to tell his or her story and receive compensation that is fair for what they went through and what they have lost.
While lawmakers and the justice system have worked towards improving access to justice for sexual abuse and assault survivors in recent decades, class-action lawsuits require anyone who is part of the group covered by it (for example, formerly abused scouts over a particular time period) to opt out of the lawsuit or else be subject to any rulings related to it. That means that you will be barred from making an individual claim later if you did not opt out before the deadline. We believe that forcing survivors to participate in a class action is the wrong approach.
Additionally, in our experience, the compensation from class-action lawsuits and settlements are typically far, far smaller than those reached through individual claims and settlement takes much longer than an individual claim.
What compensation are we seeking?
Compensation for institutional abuse victims falls into two main categories.
Non-pecuniary damages are meant to make up for the emotional and psychological toll you have experienced, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium (injuries to existing and future relationships)
- Loss of dignity
Pecuniary damages are intended to cover tangible losses, including:
- Quantifiable losses
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Lost wages in the past and future
- Lost future earning capacity
- Future care costs
- Loss of interdependency, which are losses for people who cannot have spouses due to the abuse and takes into account the fact that it is more expensive to live alone than in a couple
As part of the settlement, the institution we also seek a formal written apology from the institution.
Contact Preszler Injury Lawyers to discuss your potential claim
Being injured due to the actions of another person is already a scary experience, and one that should not go without consequences for the at-fault party. The shock and hurt are particularly serious and long-lasting when the victims are minors, the damage was intentional, and the perpetrator was in a position of leadership.
The lawsuit is generally against the institution. We do not need to sue the abuser unless our clients asks us to. This means that our clients do not need to confront the abuser in most cases since the case instead addresses the institution and their insurance company.
The abuse and other harm that you suffered happened through no fault of your own and you deserve to be compensated. Here at Preszler Injury Lawyers, we understand this and understand what you are going through. We are experienced at representing institutional abuse plaintiffs. These campaigns are some of the most important work we do as a firm.
If you were abused in your youth at the hands of an adult who was placed in a position of trust and authority over you by the Scouts or Guides, we encourage you to call Preszler Injury Lawyers at 1-844-373-8202 or get in touch with us online for a free consultation.
