Cardinal Marc Ouellet targeted by a class action for sexual assault

The name of Cardinal Marc Ouellet appears in a class action for sexual assault which targets 88 priests of the Diocese of Quebec.

In an introductory application for class action made public on Tuesday, a complainant, nicknamed F., claims to have been sexually assaulted by Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Father Léopold Manirabarusha in 2008.

The woman, who was 23 at the time, was doing an internship as a pastoral worker in the Diocese of Quebec.

After a meal at the Sisters of Charity in Beauport in August 2008, F. claimed the cardinal massaged her shoulders and stroked her back in a conference room.

“F. remains frozen in the face of this intrusion and does not know how to react”, can we read in the document.

The alleged victim then discussed this event with colleagues.

During a reception in November of the same year, Cardinal Ouellet is said to have kissed F. “with familiarity, even though they had only seen each other once or twice before, and holds her firmly against him in him. caressing the back with the hands”.

“Cardinal Marc Ouellet also takes her hands firmly and insistently and whispers in her ear to remind her of her name. Despite having told everyone that they knew each other very well, he probably does not know the name and the position held by F. ”, can we read in the document.

During another meeting which took place in the basement of a church, « Cardinal Marc Ouellet took advantage of a moment devoted to a sub-group discussion to cross the room and come and sit down next to F. who has the impression of being chased. Despite F.’s efforts to reason with the situation and even to make fun of it, she feels a deep unease about the situation.

The introductory application for class action relates that during another meeting, in 2010, « Cardinal Marc Ouellet told him that it was the second time they had seen each other this week and that he could kiss again, because « it’s okay to spoil yourself a little ».

After this comment that F. finds “completely inappropriate”, Cardinal Marc Ouellet would have kissed her then and would have slid “his hand along F.’s back to her buttocks”.