Cardinal Marc Ouellet wins defamation lawsuit in Quebec

A Quebec Superior Court judge has ruled that sexual misconduct allegations against Cardinal Marc Ouellet were false, ordering his accuser, Paméla Groleau, to pay $100,000 CAD in damages.

In a decision released on August 31, Justice Martin Castonguay found that Groleau’s claims—which alleged Ouellet touched her without consent on three occasions between 2008 and 2010—were neither credible nor reliable. The judge noted that Groleau had changed her testimony several times throughout the proceedings.

The allegations originally surfaced in 2022 as part of a class-action lawsuit involving the Archdiocese of Quebec. While two other women testified during the trial, the judge ruled their testimony was not pertinent to the defamation suit. Additionally, the court concluded that Ouellet was not responsible for certain gestures brought into evidence by another witness.

Following the initial accusations, the Vatican decided not to launch a canonical investigation, citing insufficient evidence. Ouellet, who retired in April 2024, had filed the defamation countersuit to address damage to his reputation, honor, and dignity.