The documents filed in the defamation lawsuit against Paméla Groleau by Cardinal Marc Ouellet reveal an anonymous letter alleging that Ouellet sexually assaulted a woman in 1992.
Newsroom(17/06/2023 20:00, Gaudium Press) The letter, which was part of the defence documents in a defamation lawsuit filed by Cardinal Ouellet against Paméla Groleau, was initially subject to a confidentiality order. However, the order was lifted, allowing the media to disclose its contents. Cardinal Ouellet has denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit to restore his reputation. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages of $100,000, with the intention of donating the money to the fight against sexual abuse of Indigenous peoples in Canada if awarded to him.
Paméla Groleau, the defendant in the defamation suit, has decided to reveal her identity and demand more justice and transparency in the Catholic Church. She has worked in the Church for over 15 years and has accused Cardinal Ouellet of sexual assault in a class-action civil suit filed against the Archdiocese of Quebec.
An email from the Vatican on Feb. 23, 2021, acknowledged that the Pope read the letter and had appointed Belgian Jesuit Father Jacques Servais to conduct a preliminary investigation, according to Présence, a French-language religion news outlet based in Montreal. An August 2022 statement from the Vatican press office confirmed Servais had concluded his investigation and presented the findings to Pope Francis, who, after further consultation, decided “there are insufficient elements to open a canonical investigation for sexual assault” by the cardinal “against person F.”
Groleau expressed gratitude for the support she has received, including testimonials from other women who have experienced similar situations within the Church. She mentioned that some victims who reached out to her had not received support from the institution.
Cardinal Ouellet maintains that the alleged gestures were merely cordial and took place in public view.
“Ms. Groleau’s view of things is not in keeping with the person I am and amounts to new defamatory allegations,” Ouellet said in his statement June 13. “I firmly deny having made any inappropriate act whatsoever in relation to these women.
“By making such allegations, Ms. Groleau continues to impute unfounded intentions to me. I intend to demonstrate this in a court of law, and to respond to these allegations with complete transparency.”
The alleged gestures are “nothing more than cordial gestures made in the context of public appearances.” The cardinal added that “the actions in question would all have been taken, without exception, in full view of several people present, very near the alleged events.”
It’s important to note that these allegations are still subject to legal proceedings, and the veracity of the claims has yet to be determined in a court of law.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Catholic Register
