QU脡BEC 鈥� A retired judge mandated by the Vatican to investigate sexual misconduct allegations against a Quebec cardinal says that despite the complainant refusing to collaborate with the probe, he could find no evidence tying the senior church leader to the alleged crimes.
Retired Quebec Superior Court judge Andr茅 Denis says that while his investigation doesn't exonerate Cardinal G茅rald Lacroix, archbishop of Quebec City, it hasn't uncovered evidence to justify a canonical trial.
鈥淭he elements gathered during the investigation make it implausible that the events associated with the cardinal occurred," Denis told a news conference in Quebec City on Tuesday. He said the recommendation he made to Pope Francis, who asked the retired judge in February to open the investigation, was that the case should not move forward through the Vatican's judicial process.
Lacroix's name was among 15 added to a list in January of perpetrators in a class-action lawsuit, authorized by the Superior Court in 2022, alleging sexual abuse by clergy and staff dating back to 1940. The alleged sexual touching involving Lacroix took place between 1987 and 1988 in Quebec City when the unnamed female plaintiff was 17.
The archbishop has denied the allegations, which he has described as "unfounded." The claims against him have not been tested in court.
Denis admitted to reporters that his report was incomplete because the complainant refused to take part in his investigation. But he said that despite the interviews he conducted and his extensive search through church archives, he couldn't find anything to substantiate the allegations.
鈥淚 searched everywhere. I didn鈥檛 find anything," he said, adding that the church had given him access to all the documents he asked for.
However, a lawyer for the complainant says the judge鈥檚 findings are of little importance. Alain Arsenault, with law firm Arsenault Dufresne Wee, says his client didn鈥檛 want to participate in the Vatican鈥檚 investigation because it was an internal process that lacked credibility.
鈥淪he wants to take part in a trial at the Quebec Superior Court because it鈥檚 an independent tribunal,鈥� he said, adding that his client is one of 147 involved in the class-action lawsuit against Quebec鈥檚 clergy 鈥� a hundred alleged abusers altogether.
鈥淭he Catholic Church doesn鈥檛 have a monopoly on truth,鈥� Arsenault said.
Denis says that in his past investigations of alleged clergy abuse, including a case involving a priest in Nunavut, there is always a trail of evidence 鈥� such as comments during interviews, or letters from people formerly associated with the accused 鈥� but nothing surfaced in the Lacroix case.
鈥淚n my experience, in the cases I鈥檝e seen, we鈥檇 find a little something about someone somewhere,鈥� he said, describing the cardinal鈥檚 record as 鈥渋mpeccable.鈥�
鈥淚 am unable to say whether or not the alleged act took place," Denis said. "I'm even unable to identify a place, an event, a precise date or any other circumstance. The plaintiff's refusal to co-operate in any way with my investigation has left me at a loss."
The Vatican says Denis' report does not "permit to identify any actions that amount to misconduct or abuse" and "no further canonical procedure" is expected.
Despite his conclusions, Denis says that if the complainant chooses to speak with him, he would ask the Vatican to extend his mandate and resume the investigation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never too late,鈥� Denis said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2024.
The Canadian Press
