Vatican Cardinal Named in Canadian Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Vatican Cardinal Marc Ouellet is the highest-ranking cleric accused in a document made public Tuesday by a Canadian court as part of a class-action lawsuit alleging sexual assault against the Catholic Diocese of Quebec, the plaintiffs’ lawyer said.
The lawsuit represents more than 100 people, including minors, according to a court filing and a press release from Arsenault Dufresne Wee, which filed the class-action lawsuit. They claim being sexually assaulted by 88 priests and staff working in the Diocese of Quebec starting in 1940.
In documents filed with the Quebec Superior Court, an anonymous complainant said Ouellet touched her inappropriately, including rubbing her shoulders and back, and made comments that made her uncomfortable.
The document states that the interactions took place between 2008 and 2010, when Ouellet was archbishop and head of a diocese in Quebec and she was a 23-year-old intern. Ouellet has not faced criminal charges.
Vatican spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Calls to Ouellet’s Vatican residence and office went unanswered late Tuesday. A representative for the Diocese of Quebec declined to comment. Relevant media could not immediately identify the cardinal’s lawyer.