Police investigating educators at Montreal youth centre after sexual misconduct allegations

Nine female educators working at the Cité-des-Prairies youth rehabilitation centre were allegedly having sexual relations with youth under their watch, many of whom were minors at the time, according to the regional health authority.

Findings of a CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal internal investigation were first reported in Le Devoir and La Presse.

The youth rehabilitation centre, located in Montreal's eastern Rivière-des-Prairies neighbourhood, takes on serious cases from youth protection services, such as young people who have committed murder, drug trafficking, pimping or who have used firearms.

At least nine educators and two managers have been either suspended or fired following the investigation into allegations of sexual activity and drug trafficking involving youths staying at the centre.

Montreal police have launched an investigation into the allegations, which could lead to criminal charges. The CIUSSS has also ordered an external investigation.

The reported events allegedly took place over at least a year.

Pregnant employees

At least five minors were allegedly involved in sexual misconduct, according to Assunta Gallo, director of youth protection at the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal.

One worker at the centre allegedly became pregnant by one of the minors and had their child. A 15-year-old might have also impregnated another educator, according to La Presse.

An intervention officer was also fired for allegedly bringing cell phones, e-cigarettes and drugs into the centre.

Gallo said management learned of the situation in mid-August following a report about sexual misconduct involving an educator.

"We realized that there were possibly other victims and other educators who may have been involved in different situations so we decided internally to start an investigation and hire people external to the establishment," she said.

Asked about the devastating content of the investigation, the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS) said in a statement that the union "does not endorse any behaviour that is deemed inappropriate" toward young people.

"The mission of our members is to help young people, not to harm them," said Caroline Letarte-Simoneau, the APTS representative for the CIUSSS.

She said she could not comment on the Cité-des-Prairies case because an investigation is underway and the minors' privacy rights must be protected.

Investigation into youth centres

Brigitte Garceau, the Official Opposition critic for youth protection, said in a statement on Friday that she was "disgusted" by the incident and called for an investigation into all youth and rehabilitation centres in the province as well as the resignation of Quebec youth protection services director Catherine Lemay. 

"This story makes my blood run cold. If we no longer feel that our young people are safe in these rehabilitation centres, where do we send them?" she said.

Thursday night, Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant said in a post on X that "everything will be done to guarantee the protection and safety of young people" under the responsibility of the state.

"We will never tolerate situations of this kind," he wrote. "Abusing vulnerable young people is a criminal act and is subject to prosecution and conviction."

Ongoing training, supervision needed: psychiatrist

Dr. Cécile Rousseau, a Canada Research Chair and clinical psychiatrist at the Montreal Children's Hospital, said the incidents reported suggest that educators were not equipped to recognize issues and behaviour associated with complex trauma, which points to a failure in the training process.

For instance, she said "it's normal for a therapist to be sexually attracted to their clients," but in-depth clinical supervision and ongoing training — beyond saying "no means no" — are needed for figures of authority to know how to react.

Rousseau noted that minors at rehabilitation centres have often been abused or are used to their caregivers not protecting them, which is why those young people, in search of attention, might repeat abusive behaviour in their teens.

"It's very serious for [the young people] because it means the people who take care of them in these youth centres betrayed them," she said. "Like their parents and the educators in their life, we, as a society, have betrayed them."

Based on reporting by Radio-Canada's Stéphane Bordeleau with files from CBC's Paula Dayan-Perez, prepared by Holly Cabrera