Five former residents of St Dominic’s Children’s Home have initiated a groundbreaking High Court lawsuit, alleging decades of physical and sexual abuse during their time at the institution. The claimants, represented by attorneys Christlyn Moore, Adana Joseph-Wallace, and Joshua Hamlet, have named the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Port of Spain, the Attorney General, the Statutory Authorities Service Commission, and a former supervisor as defendants. The lawsuit, filed on October 10, seeks accountability for the systemic failures that enabled the abuse, which reportedly occurred between 1983 and 2006. The claimants argue that their delayed legal action stems from psychological trauma and a lack of awareness of their rights, citing the 1997 Sabga Report and the 2022 Jones Report as pivotal in their delayed recognition of the abuse. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed in their statutory and common-law duties to protect the children, leading to years of beatings, sexual assaults, and unsafe living conditions. The claimants are seeking damages for psychological trauma, lost educational and employment opportunities, and long-term mental health injuries. The defendants have denied liability, raising limitation defenses, and the High Court is expected to address the issue of delayed claims before proceeding with the case.
