St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital

TORONTO, JANUARY 27, 2022 – Rochon Genova LLP has commenced a proposed class action against the Ontario government and the former medical and unit directors of the former St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital (“St. Thomas”) relating to their alleged systemic abuses of involuntary patients between the years 1976 and 1992.

St. Thomas was a government operated psychiatric facility located in St. Thomas, Ontario. The claim alleges that, from 1976 to 1992, involuntary patients detained in the medium secure forensic unit of St. Thomas were subjected to an abusive and punitive patient-run program with no medical merit.

The proposed class action, filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, alleges that this “treatment” program, run with the government of Ontario’s knowledge for over a decade, was initially developed and implemented by patients detained in the maximum security Oak Ridge Division of the Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene, including those with histories of sexual violence.

As part of this program, male patients were transferred from Oak Ridge to St. Thomas and placed in charge of the control, treatment, and punishment of female patients. These female patients included teenagers such as the proposed representative plaintiff, who was seventeen years old at the time of her admission at St. Thomas.

The claim alleges that Ontario and the former medical and unit directors of St. Thomas who oversaw the program were systemically negligent and breached their fiduciary duties and the patients’ Charter rights by implementing this unethical, harmful and medically meritless patient-run program.

The claims have not yet been proven in court. For information about this proposed class action please contact  Golnaz Nayerahmadi ([email protected]) or Sarah Fiddes ([email protected])  at (416) 363-1867 or 1-866-881-2292.