Cardinal Ouellet wins defamation suit after abuse allegation

Following a preliminary investigation, Pope Francis opted not to pursue the case. The Vatican determined there were “insufficient elements to open a canonical investigation for sexual assault by Cardinal Ouellet.” As a result, Groleau turned to the Canadian civil justice system in 2022.

“Ms. Groleau, dissatisfied with the handling of her complaint to Pope Francis, chose to modify her version of the facts to attract public attention,” the judge wrote in his decision. He added that Cardinal Ouellet was the victim of defamatory remarks by Groleau, who changed her story “several times,” and was “neither credible nor reliable.”

The judge noted that Groleau had named Ouelett in a 2022 class-action lawsuit focusing mostly on abuse of minors, thus purposefully associating the cardinal with a crime of which he was not accused. This damaged the cardinal's reputation further, Castonguay ruled. He consequently granted the cardinal’s request for damages.

The Canadian cardinal has consistently denied the accusations. He sought $100,000 in damages from Groleau, arguing that “the enormous hype in the Catholic world [had] affected his reputation, his moral authority, and his health.”

He previously stated that if he won the lawsuit, he would donate the entire sum to an organization fighting sexual violence against Indigenous people in Canada.

“We are pleased that the court recognized the injustice suffered by Cardinal Ouellet and that the fault committed against him now entitles him to reparation,” lawyers for the former prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops declared in a press release.