The founder of the world's most preeminent creator of communities for people with intellectual disabilities engaged in abusive sexual relationships with multiple women, according to a newly-released report.

Ian Brown reported the findings of L'Arche International's report in The Globe and Mail on Friday, Feb. 21, 2020.

According to the report from the year-long independent investigation into the life of the L'Arche founder, Vanier was found to have had "maniupulative sexual relationships" with six women.

Many of the relationships, which took place over a span of 35 years between 1970 and 2005, were coercive, according to the report.

The women Vanier engaged with were from a variety of backgrounds, including assistants and nuns. None were individuals with intellectual abilities.

Vanier, the son of governor general Georges Vanier, died in May 2019 at the age of 90. He was known for his decision to turn from life in the military, academia, and priesthood in order to create communities across the world for those living with intellectual disabilities through L'Arche.

Vanier was also a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, and the winner of the Templeton Prize and the Joseph Kennedy Foundation Award. He was friends with Mother Theresa and a Companion of the Order of Canada, as well as an author.

L'Arche began in 1964 to provide an alternative to institutionalization for people living with intellectual disabilities, turning into a series of homes for people to live in community together.

The report summarizes the larger investigation into Vanier which has not been released in order to protect the identities of the women who were abused.

Suspicions first began to arise around Vanier in 2014 after 14 women reported they had been sexually abused by Pere Thomas, who was Vanier's "spiritual father." Thomas was partly responsible for Vanier's interest in serving those with intellectual disabilities.

Vanier, however, publically denied knowledge of such practices by Thomas on several occasions.

In 2016, a woman came forward who claimed she had had a sexual relationship with Vanier at his instigation. Vanier claimed the encounter was consensual. Another woman came forward with similar claims in March 2019.

Stefan Poser, the international leader of L'Arche, commissioned an independent inquiry into Vanier's life following these claims.

Vanier was found in the report to have had a minimum of six relationships with women who worked at L'Arche. Some of these were considered abusive relationships and all were deemed to be non-consensual.

The report states Vanier's involvement has been found on a balance of probabilities. It establishes that Vanier's actions "crossed boundaries which are expected and necessary when people are in a relationship of trust."