Cardinal Ouellet Admitted to Putting Money in Neckline
Groleau has accused him since 2022 of unwanted touching on three occasions between 2008 and 2010. In one incident she alleges that he ran his hand down her back to the top of her buttocks.
Ouellet denies all wrongdoing.
The judge must decide whether the accusations harmed Ouellet’s reputation. He is seeking 100,000 Canadian dollars in damages.
However, the trial is backfiring on him because two additional women have come forward during the proceedings accusing him of inappropriate touching.
They are called to the trial as supporting witnesses by Groleau’s legal team to argue that her allegations are credible and part of a broader pattern.
One woman, Mélissa Trépanier said she had known Ouellet since she was 18 and had considered him a “spiritual father.” They often held hands when meeting, which she initially saw as non-sexual. She described a first incident in the 2000s, when after a hug Ouellet allegedly moved his hand down her blouse toward her chest. Despite this, she continued corresponding warmly with him for years. In 2014, when she met him again while accompanied by her fiancé, he allegedly slipped a 50-dollar bill into the neckline of her sweater during a hug, putting his hand between her breasts and touching her ribs. She said the gesture shocked and angered her.
Ouellet acknowledged putting the $50 bill in her sweater during a hug. He disputes that it was sexual or inappropriate.
A second woman, Marie‑Louise Moreau, 84, testified about an alleged incident in 1992 when Ouellet was rector of the Grand Séminaire de Montréal. She claimed he stood behind her while she was working, blocked her from moving, and pressed his pelvis against her buttocks. She said she managed to free herself after being shocked by the behavior.
The cardinal denies the accusations, and his lawyer asked the judge to disregard the testimonies, arguing that the testimonies contain inconsistencies.
In 2022 the Vatican conducted a preliminary investigation into the allegations. The investigation concluded that there was not enough evidence to open a canonical case against Cardinal Ouellet.
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