2024 AT. 26 – 1:30 p.m.
The tragedy of victims of sexual violence in the Church seems endless. In Bayonne, a priest will be tried on Monday July 1 for sexual assault and possession of pornographic images.
The investigation is based on a complaint filed by a 20-year-old young man. The facts date back to last February. He is said to have suffered sexual abuse from a 70-year-old priest from Bayonne, within the Bayonne diocese. Monsignor Marc Aillet, Bishop of Bayonne, Lescar and Oloron, told our colleagues in South West the history of the case: “This young man came to talk to me directly after his complaint,” he confided. . “I immediately contacted the prosecutor, as provided for in our reporting protocol, who kept me informed of the progress of the procedure.”
As soon as the public prosecutor contacted the accused, the accused was placed in police custody. During his hearing, the clergyman denied the events outright. A search of his computer revealed that he was in possession of child pornography images. The accused will have the opportunity to explain this shortly, Monday July 1, during his trial at the Bayonne court.
Pending his judgment, the priest was placed under judicial supervision. Prohibited from being in contact with the public, as part of his duties, he cannot exercise. The Bishop of Bayonne also specified that he had also “suspended him from all ministry as a precautionary measure”. The accused, unknown to the judicial services, risks up to ten years of imprisonment.
