FRANCE
Newstalk (New Zealand)
French police have questioned the Roman Catholic cardinal-archbishop of Lyon in an investigation into the activities of a paedophile priest in the early 1990s and why they were not reported to the civil authorities.
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, 65, who has denied covering up the activities of Father Bernard Preynat, was questioned on Wednesday as a witness by officers of the child and family protection brigade at a police station in the central city, his lawyer said.
“Like any witness, he is being asked what he knew,” lawyer Andre Soulier said, adding that the questioning “will not be followed by any obligation to appear in court, any opening of a judicial investigation or any indictment”.
Several victims of alleged paedophile abuse have filed complaints against the prelate, who holds the honorific title of Primate of the Gauls, for failing to report the incidents to the justice authorities and leaving the accused priest in place.
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