The Duplessis Orphans: A Dark Chapter in Quebec’s History

Children Wrongly Institutionalized

In the 1940s and 1950s, thousands of children in Quebec were falsely declared mentally ill and confined to psychiatric hospitals. Most were born to unwed mothers and placed in religious-run orphanages. The provincial government reclassified these orphanages to receive higher federal funding, leading to the mass misdiagnosis of healthy children.

Abuse Behind Closed Doors

Many orphans suffered extreme mistreatment. Survivors later reported physical and sexual abuse, forced confinement, and medical procedures like electroshock therapy and lobotomies. A 1960s investigation found that a third of psychiatric patients had been misclassified. When institutions were reformed, many orphans were released without support, struggling to reintegrate into society.

The Fight for Justice

By the 1990s, survivors formed a committee demanding compensation. The Quebec government offered settlements, but many victims felt the amounts were insufficient. The Catholic Church denied responsibility, despite its role in running the institutions. Some survivors continued seeking legal action, pushing for accountability from both the government and the Church.

Unanswered Questions

In 2004, calls emerged to exhume unmarked graves at former psychiatric hospitals, suspecting medical experiments on orphans. In 2021, renewed demands were made for further investigations. Survivors continued to seek justice, claiming that the past settlements failed to acknowledge the full extent of the suffering endured.

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