FRANCE
International Business Times
By Mary Papenfuss
March 14, 2016
In a ground-breaking case, a court in France has launched a criminal investigation into allegations that the French Catholic hierarchy protected a priest who admitted sexually abusing at least 40 boys. Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, has denied any culpability in the sex abuse of young scouts by Father Bernard Preynat from 1986 to 1991.
Preynat, who told authorities he committed the crimes, was finally kicked out of the priesthood by Barbarin in 2015, at least 25 years after the assaults began. After the parents of Preynat’s victims first came forward in 1991, a former archbishop in charge at the time removed the priest from parish work where he had access to boys — temporarily. After Preynat “repented” for his crimes he was allowed to work again with children.
In 2007 he was promoted by Archbishop Barbarin to an administrative post where he helped run six dioceses and had access to even more children. The cardinal claims he did nothing wrong because the crimes didn’t happen when he was archbishop, and he eventually booted Preynat from the priesthood in 2015 — when French civil authorities finally launched an investigation into the priest’s activities.
Barbarin says he first heard of the abuse sometime in 2007 and was convinced Preynat had reformed, reports Associated Press. But Preynat’s lawyer says Barbarin knew of the charges for decades.
The French court could levy charges of “failing to report a crime” and “endangering the life of others,” which carry a maximum three-year prison sentence and fines up to €45,000 (£35,000). Ironically, the cardinal has taken a particularly harsh stand against gay marriage, arguing that same-sex unions would lead to polygamy and possibly incest.
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