Culture of silence contributed to sex scandal at Montreal youth detention centre: report

A culture of silence contributed to the sex scandal at the Cité-des-Prairies rehabilitation centre in Montreal, according to the investigatory report released Tuesday that claims employees were afraid of reprisals if they reported inappropriate situations.

Four people who were directly or indirectly involved in the affair have been fired. Two managers involved remain suspended with pay.

Those details were shared Tuesday by Assunta Gallo, the director of youth protection at the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, as part of the presentation of the summary report of the administrative investigation into the Cité-des-Prairies rehabilitation centre.

‘Intolerable’: Educators at Montreal youth detention centre accused of having sex with minors

At a press briefing in Montreal, the interim director of human resources of the CIUSSS, Valérie Jacob, indicated there could be other dismissals. She indicated several employees have been suspended without specifying an exact number.

The fallout began after an internal investigation was launched by “La Presse” that revealed cases of sexual abuse and misconduct at the Cité-des-Prairies centre in October.

Montreal police (SPVM) are also conducting a parallel investigation, with criminal charges being a possibility.

Gallo confirmed that at least one full-blown relationship took place between an employee and a young person, resulting in a pregnancy. There have been other situations of sexual abuse and misconduct.

She also mentioned “behaviour contrary to the code of ethics of Cité-des-Prairies and the CIUSSS Centre-Sud such as the use of cell phones for non-professional purposes during working hours, inappropriate clothing or too much close proximity to young people.

“It is unacceptable that such circumstances took place in an environment that is supposed to be a safe environment for young people and a healthy work environment for our employees,” said Gallo.

The administrative investigation took place from Oct. 1 to Nov. 14 and around 50 witnesses were met.

The investigation report highlighted a climate of mistrust resulting in a code of silence among employees. Some staff members fear reprisals if they report bad behaviour they witness.

A range of measures were presented in the report to break this code of silence. Gallo said that coming out publicly to encourage people to denounce any problematic situation was part of the strategies to break the code of silence.

The report also highlights that many educational staff in daycare settings are young, inexperienced women. It reads that “there is a loss of expertise, experienced educators are leaving their positions.”

Jason Champagne, director of the youth program, said efforts have been made to improve the overall situation, including the creation of committees and support programs for staff. “These actions were considered disturbing and insufficient by the witnesses met as part of the investigation,” he shared.

“The perceived distance between managers and the field has reinforced a climate of mistrust within the teams, which has harmed the cohesion and efficiency of the services,” said Champagne.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews