Deceased residential school survivor's compensation claim overturned for lack of signature
The body overseeing the compensation process for the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement has overturned an award to the family of a deceased residential school survivor because the claim application did not have his signature.
The Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat oversees the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) for compensation for specific claims of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and other wrongful acts that caused serious psychological harms to former students.
On March 13, 2018, IAP adjudicator Cheryl Macdonald awarded compensation of $27,222 to a claimant for forced participation in at least two incidents of simulated intercourse during his time at a Quebec residential school.
The claimant, now deceased, had opened up about sexual abuses he experienced during his school years at a healing camp. The allegations were documented and recorded by a note-taker.
“This is my greatest pain. At night I was coerced to make sexual acts,” the minutes stated.
An eyewitness also corroborated the abuse with sworn evidence.
The claimant’s family requested a review of Macdonald’s decision, feeling that the compensation was too low.
Instead, deputy chief adjudicator Wes Marsden overturned the decision in July because the claimant had not signed an IAP application.
