Saint John Estabrooks Abuse Settlement (New Brunswick) — $16.5M CAD

Survivor Compensation · Claims Open

Current Status

Claims are open. Claim forms must be submitted by April 13, 2027; the official documents give a date only, with no time of day or timezone. The New Brunswick Court of King's Bench approved the settlement on March 12, 2026. Payments will be issued only after every claim, including any eligibility appeal, has been finally determined, and no payment date had been announced as of October 3, 2026.

What Changed Recently?

The claim period opened after the court approved the settlement on March 12, 2026. Under the agreement, the City of Saint John will pay up to $16,500,000 CAD to resolve Hayes v. The City of Saint John, a class action brought on behalf of people sexually abused by Kenneth Estabrooks while he was employed as a city police officer.

Unlike most settlements, this one follows a ruling on liability. The case was certified as a class proceeding on June 19, 2017, with a common issue on whether the city was vicariously liable for harm Estabrooks caused as a police officer between 1953 and 1975. On September 14, 2023, the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick decided that issue in favour of the class, and the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the city's application for leave to appeal on May 16, 2024. The parties then reached the settlement through mediation in 2025, citing the cost, risk and delay of an individual-issues process. Class counsel confirmed that no class member opted out of the case.

Who Qualifies?

The class covers all people who allege they suffered injury, loss or damage from being sexually abused by Kenneth Estabrooks in the City of Saint John between January 1, 1953 and November 1, 1975. To receive compensation, the administrator must be satisfied that the claimant:

• suffered harm as a result of being sexually abused by Estabrooks;
• was abused in the City of Saint John between January 1, 1953 and November 1, 1975; and
• was abused while Estabrooks was a City of Saint John police officer.

People who validly opted out of the case, or who previously settled a claim against the city over the same abuse, may not be eligible. A claim can also be made for a class member who has died, if that person was alive on May 16, 2024.

How Much Compensation Is Available?

Payments are shared pro rata from what remains of the fund after other costs. The $16.5 million CAD first pays the third-party litigation funder's fees, class counsel's fees, and the representative plaintiff's honorarium, in the amounts approved by the court, along with administration costs. The remainder is divided among approved claims.

The administrator assigns points to each approved claim. Points for the abuse itself range from 10 to 50, increasing with the nature, frequency and severity of the abuse described in the sworn declaration; only the highest applicable level counts. A claimant can receive 20 additional points by providing a diagnosis or documentation of an eligible psychological harm that arose after the abuse, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, or a substance use disorder. The highest possible total is 70 points. Estate claims receive half the points that would otherwise apply.

Each claimant's payment equals their share of the total points awarded across all approved claims, so no dollar amount per point can be known until the claim period closes. The part of the fund reserved for claims accrues interest at 2% a year from the claims deadline. Uncashed or undeliverable payments go to a non-profit organization chosen by the plaintiff, not back to the city.

What Proof Is Required?

Proof is required, though not proof of the abuse itself for a person claiming on their own behalf. Every claim form must include a clear copy of one valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's licence, passport or provincial ID card, showing a name and date of birth that match the form.