Cardinal Marc Ouellet denies having made inappropriate gestures towards two new women in the wake of his lawsuit against Pamela Groleau, this woman who accuses him of sexual misconduct.
• Read also: Targeted by two allegations of sexual misconduct: Cardinal Marc Ouellet resigns from one of his functions
In response to the Cardinal’s $100,000 lawsuit for damage to his reputation, Mr.me Groleau argued before the Superior Court that two other women alleged that they had suffered similar behavior from him.
Among the court documents filed for his defense, which were able to consult The newspaper, there are two letters in which these women recount the alleged facts. The information was first reported by Radio-Canada on Tuesday morning.
- Listen to the chronicle of Alain Pronkin, specialist in religions, among other things about Cardinal Marc Ouellet, at the microphone of Benoit Dutrizac via QUB-radio :
The first maintains that she was assaulted by the religious on a Sunday in 1992 while preparing for a celebration in Montreal. “The celebrant, Marc Ouellet […] stood behind me and, with both hands on the table on either side of me so as to prevent me from freeing myself, rubbed his pelvis on me,” she says.
Billet in his waistcoat
The second woman, in a letter addressed directly to Pope Francis, recounts that an event involving Marc Ouellet, with whom she had developed a bond of friendship for 10 years, made her “really uncomfortable” at the summer 2014.
During an evening in the presence of her boyfriend, on the island of Orleans, near Quebec, she would have mentioned financial problems. Upon leaving, “during a 2e cuddles [sic]Mgr [Ouellet] hastened to slip a $ 50 in my vest, vis-à-vis the top of my chest, “she alleges.
Marc Ouellet strongly contested these allegations by means of a press release, affirming that he is credited with “unfounded” intentions and that he will demonstrate them during the trial.
“I strongly deny”
“This vision of things proposed by Mr.me Groleau does not fit with the person that I am and constitutes new defamatory allegations against me. I strongly deny having done anything inappropriate towards these women,” he said.
Recall that the 79-year-old cardinal does not face any criminal charges. His name, however, appeared in the context of a class action filed against the diocese of Quebec.
It is in this context that Paméla Groleau, who decided to emerge from anonymity at the start of the year, alleges various touching by Marc Ouellet during public events, between 2008 and 2010, when she was intern and that he was Archbishop of Quebec.
“The behaviors she blames me for [qui sont niés par ailleurs] are nothing more than gestures of cordiality made in the context of public performances,” said Marc Ouellet in his statement on Tuesday, adding that he wanted to “carry […] this vision that it is still permitted in our society to greet people in a spirit of brotherhood in the context of public events”.
The Diocese of Quebec declined to comment.
– With TVA Nouvelles