Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet expressed his gratitude today after winning a civil defamation suit against a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct as part of a class-action lawsuit.
Superior Court Justice Martin Castonguay ruled on Monday that Paméla Groleau’s accusations against Ouellet were unfounded and ordered her to pay him $100,000.
Ouellet issued a brief written statement today from his residence in Rome, Italy.
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In it, he expresses his gratitude to the civil justice system and thanks his lawyers and the witnesses who testified.
Groleau had accused Ouellet of touching her without consent on three occasions between 2008 and 2010, while she was training or working for the church.
Ouelette reiterated his plan to donate the $100,000 in damages to organizations fighting sexual abuse against Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
“I pledge to continue the fight within the Church and in society against every form of abuse, particularly sexual abuse, and I unreservedly support substantiated victims in their pursuit of restorative justice,” he writes.
Castonguay’s 52-page ruling, handed down Monday at the Montreal courthouse, is harsh on Groleau.
The judge concluded that her testimony “was neither credible nor reliable.” He noted that she changed her account of the facts several times and that the alleged incidents took place during public events attended by other people.
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