B.C. judge certifies class-action lawsuit alleging prison guard sexually assaulted inmates

A B.C. Supreme Court judge has certified a class-action lawsuit alleging systemic failures allowed former prison guard Roderic MacDougall to sexually assault over 200 inmates between 1976 and 1996 at four B.C. prisons, primarily Oakalla Prison. The lawsuit claims the province ignored numerous reports of MacDougall’s misconduct, failing to protect inmates from a “serial sexual predator.” Over 500 former inmates have contacted the law firm representing them, with approximately 200 currently meeting the criteria to join the suit.

The suit details allegations of various forms of sexual assault, including unwanted touching, forced oral sex, and anal penetration. MacDougall was criminally charged in 1998 and convicted in 2022 of sexual assault, indecent assault, and extortion related to separate incidents involving teenage inmates.

The province consented to the certification order, allowing the Slater Vecchio law firm to notify potential plaintiffs. A mediation hearing is scheduled for the fall, and while none of the allegations have been proven in court, the certification allows the case to proceed, seeking damages on behalf of the affected inmates.

(Source：Vancouver Sun)