The Church of Dordogne has received “more than fifteen” testimonies concerning sexual assault

“The Church wants to become a safe house.” The Bishop of Périgueux and Sarlat, Monsignor Philippe Mousset, was the guest this Friday on the France Bleu Périgord morning show. In Ici Matin, he asks the victims to “Speak, dare to do it.” He announced that the Church has an address dedicated email [email protected]and which she had received between 15 and 20 emails of people denouncing sexual assaults committed by religious figures. These are sometimes old facts and for which the religious people involved diedmore “we have initiated procedures to allow victims to contact a cell that has existed with us since 2021-2022, independent, which listens and transmits information to me, and I propose to meet these people to be able to offer reparations”.

“Shedding light and truth”

The Bishop of Périgueux and Sarlat himself announced in a press release thata priest was going to be tried next March for acts committed against a child in the 1990s. Monsignor Philippe Mousset believes that the Church has changed its position on these facts and today, it is necessary to communicate: “It's important because we cannot stay on questions of suffering, […] being transparent, shedding light and truth is fundamental, it should be at the heart of all our convictions.”

A protocol with justice and public prosecutors

The diocese of Périgueux and Sarlat concluded a protocol a few years ago with the public prosecutor's office of Périgueux and Bergerac, “they help us in what we have to do when there is a complaint filed either with the public prosecutor's office or when I am informed […] We know what we must do when faced with such a matter.”. The bishop is in contact with the prosecutors.

A “charter of good treatment”

How do you position yourself as a bishop when there are cases of sexual assault? “I am deeply hurt in relation to that, but we must take our responsibilities. We must take action and have discernment during seminars. There are now psychologists who are part of the teams. These facts must not be repeated.”. A charter of “well-treatment” has just been signed, so that the Church becomes “a safe house”. Although the bishop recognizes that the majority of situations turn out correctly, he concludes: “One case is already too many.”