A $16.5 million settlement agreement has been approved in a class-action lawsuit against the City of Saint John on behalf of survivors of Kenneth Estabrooks’ decades of sexual abuse.
Those who suffered harm from being sexually abused by Estabrooks in Saint John between Jan. 1, 1953, and Nov. 1, 1975, while he was employed as a police officer, may be eligible for compensation.
Claims can be submitted over the next year until April 13, 2027. Victims are able to make a claim by filling out the claim form and sending it to the Administrator via email at saintjohnclassaction@kmpg.ca.
The settlement fund of $16.5 million will be boiled down to roughly $7.2 million after legal fees and expenses, which will be available for class members.
Money paid for each approved claim will vary depending on the severity of harm suffered and the amount of claims approved.
The class-action suit was filed by Robert Hayes — one of Estabrooks’ victims — in 2013. Hayes will receive $25,000 from the fund for acting as the representative plaintiff.
RELATED: Estabrooks settlement nearly finalized
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Estabrooks, who died in 2005 while serving a six-year sentence for four counts of indecent assault, was claimed to have used his position as a Saint John police officer to sexually abuse potentially hundreds of people over a minimum 22-year span.
City-hired private investigators found that 263 people, mostly boys, could have been abused during his career.
For more information about where to find the claim form, how to submit, or any other questions in relation to this case, please refer to the Newswire publication about the suit.
