L’Arche Canada says changes made amid sex abuse scandal tied to founder Jean Vanier

By The Canadian Press on January 31, 2023.

MONTREAL – Charity L’Arche Canada says it has made changes to protect staff, volunteers and participants since sexual abuse allegations against founder Jean Vanier first came to light in 2020.

The international office of the non-profit that helps people with intellectual disabilities released a report Monday that identified at least 25 women abused by Vanier between 1952 and 2019, including in Canada and India.

A previous report made public in February 2020 concluded Vanier had manipulative sexual relationships with at least six women in France between 1975 and 1990.

Lori Vaanholt, an executive with L’Arche Canada, says the charity’s 37 branches around the world have been audited since 2020 to ensure that staff, volunteers and people with intellectual disabilities are protected from abuse. She says a second audit is being conducted this year.

She says L’Arche Canada has also worked with intellectually disabled people to teach them the language tools to report abuse.

Monday’s report said Vanier used his power to engage in manipulative sexual relationships, but it found no evidence that any of his victims had intellectual disabilities.

Several Canadian schools named for Vanier, who died in 2019, have been renamed since 2020.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2023.

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