Prominent Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet denies second allegation of sexual misconduct

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Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet denies sexual misconduct allegations made against him by a woman in 2020.

On Friday, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec confirmed it had received a second complaint against Ouellet, the former archbishop of the provincial capital.

A Vatican investigation was conducted following the second complaint against Ouellet, but Pope Francis decided ‘not to pursue the accusation against the cardinal’ who now heads the Vatican’s office of bishops.

In a written statement sent to the media on Saturday, Ouellet confirmed his participation in the investigation and said he had “nothing to hide”, adding that he had acted in “complete transparency” throughout the process.

Ouellet denies engaging in “imprehensible behavior” towards the woman and says no charges have been filed against him in civil or criminal court.

The allegations about the cardinal first surfaced last summer in a class action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec, and last week one of the plaintiffs came forward and accused the Church. Catholic for having tried to silence her by “threats and intimidation”.

Pamela Groleau, one of the 140 plaintiffs behind the lawsuit, said she initially kept her identity a secret to protect her family, her job and her sanity.

In the lawsuit, Groleau accused Ouellet of several incidents of sexual assault between 2008 when she was 23 and 2010, including slipping a hand on her back and touching her buttocks at an event in Quebec City.

The allegations have not been tested in court, and Ouellet countersued Groleau last month in Quebec Superior Court for defamation, denying the allegations and seeking $100,000 in damages.

The second allegation was reported this week by French Catholic weekly Golias Hebdo, which also published a letter from Cardinal Gérald Lacroix, the current Archbishop of Quebec, with the woman’s name redacted dated June 23, 2021.

In the letter, Lacroix informed the woman that her complaint would not be pursued.

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