Vatican cardinal terms assault allegations false, defamatory
The Vatican cardinal accused in a class-action lawsuit in Canada of sexual assault against a woman has denied any inappropriate behavior
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Vatican cardinal accused in a class-action lawsuit in Canada of sexual assault against a woman on Friday denied any inappropriate behavior and said he would vigorously fight the “false” and “defamatory” accusations if the case proceeds.
Cardinal Marc Ouellet issued his own statement via the Vatican press office a day after the Holy See said a preliminary church investigation into the woman's allegations determined the case didn’t warrant further investigation or canonical trial.
The back-to-back statements were responding to lawyers in Quebec who recently filed a class-action compliant by 101 alleged victims accusing 88 prelates of sexual abuse and assault over decades.
Ouellet, who headed the Quebec archdiocese from 2002-2010, was accused by a woman identified only as “F” of several alleged incidents of unwanted touching, including sliding his hand down her back and touching her buttocks at a 2010 event in Quebec City.
In the statement, Ouellet termed the accusations “false.”
“I firmly deny having made inappropriate gestures against her person and consider the interpretation and diffusion of these accusations as sexual aggression to be defamatory,” he said. If the lawsuit proceeds “I intend to actively participate so that the truth is established and my innocence is recognized."
In 2010, Ouellet became prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops, which is in charge of the world's bishops. In that job, he oversees church investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct involving bishops or cardinals with adults.