Abused Orphans Reach Deal With Quebec

People who were moved to mental institutions by Quebec officials seeking more federal money have accepted a compensation offer from the province for abuse they suffered decades ago.

The 1,000 surviving so-called Duplessis orphans--named for Maurice Duplessis, who was premier of Quebec in the 1940s and '50s--will receive about $16,650 each.

In the Duplessis era, more funding was available for care of the mentally retarded than orphans, so orphans were designated as retarded and put into psychiatric institutions.