On Monday, the Nancy criminal court sentenced a priest from the diocese of Nancy and Toul to 18 months in prison.
He was prosecuted for possession of child pornography images.
The man of the Church was acquitted “of the charge of sexual assault on a vulnerable person by a person in authority”, specifies the Nancy prosecutor's office.
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Child crime in the Church: a widespread phenomenon
A priest from the diocese of Nancy and Toul was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment with a two-year probationary suspension for possession of child pornography images, we learned on Wednesday, November 27 from the Nancy public prosecutor's office, confirming a information from France Bleu Sud Lorraine (new window).
The former bishop of the district, Jean-Louis Papin, “had been informed, in June 2018, that a young minor had declared having been the victim of a sexual assault” on the part of the chaplain, the diocese said in a press release.
“As he did each time he received such information, he immediately reported it to the Nancy public prosecutor”added the diocese.
Exonerated from charge of sexual assault
Although child pornography images were found, the man was nevertheless released.of sexual assault on a vulnerable person by a person in authority”said the prosecution.
In 2018, Jean-Louis Papin decided to put an end to the priest's ecclesiastical missions, “notably because he had violated a decree” forcing him to “refrain from any contact with minors, due to a previous conviction”further detailed the diocese. A canonical penal decree now prohibits him from presiding over any liturgical office.
The diocese made a point, in its press release, of reaffirming its support for the victims and its “determination to advance on the path of truth”.
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