Pedocrime in the Church: Barbarin released, victims disappointed but not defeated

Relaxed! After a legal battle of several years, the Lyon (Rhône) Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that Cardinal Barbarin was summoned to appear for non-reporting of sexual assaults on minors under 15 years of age. Former young scouts of the Saint-Luc parish of Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, reproach him for not having reported to justice the sexual assaults of which they were victims on the part of Father Preynat between the 1970s and 1990s .

By releasing the cardinal, the court of appeal thus contradicted the decision of the Lyon Criminal Court which had sentenced him at first instance, in March 2019, to six months suspended prison sentence. A conviction accepted at the time as a total surprise since the prosecution had always opposed the prosecution, then the conviction of the cardinal.

VIDEO. "From all this emerges an awareness", according to one of the victims

This Thursday, Philippe Barbarin, 69, who has retired from his duties since his conviction, did not appear before the Court of Appeal to collect his decision. Before he reacted personally at the end of the day, his lawyers did not hide their relief. “You can't say everything and everything. We have to think carefully every time we accuse someone, "launched Maître André Soulier, daring with a dash of humor:" The cardinal will end up believing in angels! "

For master Jean-Félix Luciani, this release shows that "Cardinal Barbarin never intended to obstruct justice and that, on the contrary, it was through his intervention that the Preynat trial was able to take place. "What is said today is that Cardinal Barbarin is innocent," he considers.

Victims appeal to the Court of Cassation

The victims, who were civil parties, took a good half hour in the courtroom after the announcement of the judgment before announcing that they were appealing to the Court of Cassation. The appeal was moreover sent immediately, without delay. Disappointed, but not defeated therefore. "The decision of the Lyon Court of Appeal is extremely original," said master Jean Boudot, lawyer for Matthieu Farcot, one of Father Preynat's former victims. She says that there is no obligation to report sexual violence against minors once the minor has reached the age of majority. He also considers that "the reason for the arrest is not favorable to Cardinal Barbarin".

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François Devaux, another of Father Preynat's victims, and founder of the association La Parole Libérée - which allowed the denunciation of this case of pedophilia in the Church -, did not hide his astonishment at this release. "We are not at all up to the reality of sexual abuse of minors in this society, the Court of Appeal considers that the article of law which allows the reporting of sexual abuse of minors is not applicable . "

Pending the procedure before the Court of Cassation which promises to be long, the civil parties hope for a conviction of Father Preynat, prosecuted him, for "sexual assaults on minors under 15 years of age by person having authority". The prosecution asked for between 8 and 10 years in prison against the former priest. The judgment is expected by March 16.