The follow statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable John Hogan, KC, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General:

Speaker, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is responsible for the running of youth secure custody facilities in the province, and this is a responsibility we take seriously. However, we now know that there were young people at these institutions in the 1970’s and 80’s that experienced harm. For many, this harm still lives with them today. The abuses that occurred at these facilities were the subject of a class action lawsuit which the Province has now settled. It took courage for class members to come forward and bring their stories to light. The class members trusted those who were taking care of them at these institutions and that trust was broken. Not just with the young people who were staying at the facility, but with their families and communities.

For those individuals who were mistreated, as well as their families and supporters, I, as Attorney General, and on behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the people of this province, want to acknowledge the harms that these young people suffered while they were in custody. These abuses should not have happened and no young person should have had to endure what these people endured. For this, I offer a sincere and profound apology.

The goal of youth custody is to deliver programs to assist youth in successfully re-integrating in the community and limit their time in custody. The youth who spent time at our facilities during the class period deserved our support, our respect and our care.

We are committed to learning from the past and ensuring that no other child experiences the trauma these people lived through. The stories told by survivors are tragic and they compel us to do better. Again, I express our sincere apologies to all those affected, we are truly sorry that you experienced such pain.