The woman who alleges she experienced unwanted sexual touching by Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet has revealed her identity, saying she wants more transparency from the Vatican and to encourage others to come forward with their stories of abuse.
Paméla Groleau is one of the more than 130 people taking part in a class action lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec, which includes allegations of sexual misconduct against 96 members of its clergy dating back to 1940.
“Today, I am no longer F,” Groleau said in a statement to a small group of reporters, referring to the letter used to identify her in court documents. “I am Paméla Groleau.”
Ouellet is a prominent Vatican cardinal, who has been regarded as a potential successor to the Pope. He has denied all the allegations against him and sued Groleau for defamation in December, seeking $100,000 in damages. Ouellet did not immediately respond to a request for comment made through his lawyers.
Groleau, who now works in a different part of the church, said she initially wanted to conceal her identity to protect her family, her job and her mental health, “which was put to the test at every step of the way.”
Now she says she feels that coming forward will help with her own healing and encourage other potential victims to feel comfortable denouncing what happened to them.
“To find the dignity that was taken from me,” she said.
Groleau said she also wants the Catholic Church to recognize that its internal process dealing with sexual allegations is not working and needs to change.
“I would like to see the church confront abuse rather than deny it and I would like to hear the church welcome anyone who claims to be a victim, with neutral, impartial, independent, rigourous and professional processes,” she said.
Groleau was an intern at the Quebec archdiocese between 2008 and 2010 when she alleges Ouellet behaved inappropriately toward her, according to court filings as part of the lawsuit, which were made public in August.
She says the cardinal held her tightly against him and caressed her lower back during public events. Groleau, who was 24 at the time, said the gestures made her increasingly uncomfortable.
In 2020, Groleau decided to report the incidents directly to the archdiocese, calling Ouellet’s alleged actions intrusive and inappropriate. Following internal investigation procedures, her letter was transmitted to the Vatican.
Groleau said she didn’t hear back until the lawsuit she participated in was made public in August 2022. The Vatican published a statement shortly afterward, saying it found no evidence that warranted further disciplinary measures.
‘Troubling and painful’ process
She said the whole process was extremely stressful.
“I experienced that like a another assault. It was very troubling and painful, as much coming from the archdiocese as the Vatican,” she said.
She said she received intimidating anonymous letters and feared she would lose her job.
Alain Arsenault, a partner at the law firm representing the complainants in the lawsuit, said Groleau is the first person he knows of to be sued for defamation after participating in a class action against members of the Catholic Church.
The lawyer said Groleau is among up to 2,400 people in Quebec who’ve participated in such class actions.
“It’s the first time there’s this kind of action coming from a priest,” Arsenault said.
Groleau hopes her story will inspire people, whether they are religious or not, to demand more transparency from the Vatican.
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