The ombudsman of the Archdiocese of Montreal “very solicited” by victims

The allegations of sexual assault against Cardinal Marc Ouellet are already generating their share of reactions in Quebec. The Ombudsman of the Archdiocese of Montreal, Mr.^e Marie Christine Kirouack, who published her annual report on Wednesday, admits to being “very solicited” by victims in the wake of this case.

Henri Ouellette-Vezina
The Press

“I get a lot of calls from victims who tell me: ‘If a victim had the courage to attack a cardinal, I can do it.’ We feel a big identification in connection with the accusations that have been publicized, ”explained M^me Kirouack in interview with The PressWednesday.

The day before, Tuesday, Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet had been targeted for the first time by allegations of sexual assault in a court document filed Tuesday. The influential clergyman is said to have committed acts of a sexual nature on a young woman in the 2000s. Pope Francis even launched an investigation into the cardinal last year.

The plaintiff accuses the cardinal of massages, caresses on the back “up to his buttocks” and inappropriate comments. The young woman feared the cardinal so much that she had to “flee” him during public meetings, she says in the court document.

M^e Kirouack claims to have already received “four formal complaints” in 24 hours from victims of members of the clergy of Montreal, in addition to several requests for information, a rate much greater than normal. “We really feel the effect of the affair surrounding Cardinal Ouellet. We must emphasize the courage of these victims to call us,” said the ombudsman.

“Cleaning up” in the files

The lawyer also says she wants to “clean up” the “untreated” sexual abuse files within the clerical institution in recent years.

To date, 11 sexual abuse complaints received by the Archdiocesan Advisory Committee have “not been satisfactorily addressed,” the report read. “There could be several reasons for that,” explains M.^e Kirouack in interview. I think we didn’t want to deal with them. In some cases, they were dealt with, but we decided at a certain time that we were not taking any sanctions. I even faced mentions “destroyed” in certain files which nevertheless described sexual abuse. I am doing housework. »

She claims to have received a total of 29 complaints of abuse between 1^er April and July 31. Of these, seven were selected and six sent to the advisory committee. The other 22 were sent to vicars general and the director of the office of pastoral personnel in the archdiocese. Among the seven complaints retained, there were six grounds of psychological abuse, two of physical abuse, one of sexual abuse, one of financial abuse and one of spiritual abuse.

“What I want people to take away from this report is that it is essential to denounce, to ensure that there are no more abuses, including sexual abuse within the Church “, insists M.^e Kirouack, who is also director of the Assistance Program for members of the Barreau du Québec.

His report follows the filing, at the beginning of June, of an external audit which had been carried out by retired judge André Denis. The latter had discovered, by examining more than 6,800 files archived between 1940 and 2021, no less than 87 people working within the Church who were the subject of confirmed allegations of sexual abuse, either of minors or of vulnerable adults.

Despite ongoing problems, Ms.^me Kirouack says he sees an “improvement in the complaint handling process”. “This one works better and the deadlines, especially for sending letters or following up on recommendations, have improved. The break-in period for the new process is not over yet, but things are moving in a better direction,” she notes.

Christian Lépine, the Archbishop of Montreal, reiterated Wednesday his “full collaboration” with the ombudsman “to shed light on such unacceptable situations”, thanking at the same time Mr.^e Kirouack for “the exceptional support she provides to the victims”.