A former French bishop will be tried for failing to report cases of pedophilia in his diocese

FRANCE (AFP) .- Monseigneur André Fort , former bishop of Orleans (central France)), will be tried for failing to denounce the acts of pedophilia of a priest of his diocese, according to a judicial source informed Thursday, bringing to two the number of French prelates prosecuted for such facts in more than 15 years.

for seven years, "says Edmond-Claude Fréty, Civil Lawyer.

Fort, bishop of Orleans be 2002 and 2010, charged in 2017 for not having denounced Pierre de Castelet, accused in 2012 of badual badault

He was referred to a criminal court for the same counts of indictment, while former parish priest De Castelet will be tried for badual badault against children under 15 years of age. years by a person with authority, indi The Prosecutor of Orleans

Olivier Savignac, one of the alleged victims, was the first to report the incident in 2008, in an e-mail addressed to the seat of the diocese in which he denounced the aggression suffered in 1993, a camp of the Eucharistic Youth Movement in the south-west of France, where De Castelet officiated as chaplain

No answer, he met Fort, him saying that a dozen young people were victims of l & # 39; Chaplain

[André Fort] he promised to act, but a year later, the abbot was still there. I even learned that he was giving lectures on pedophilia in the Church, "Savignac said.

As nothing happened, Savignac returned to the seat of the diocese, Fort had already retired and was replaced by Bishop Jacques Blaquart The new bishop warned the prosecution that he had opened an investigation.

"At the time, Monseigneur Fort left Orléans, he was ill and his resignation accepted," said Thursday Benoit de Gaullier, the lawyer of Fort.

"My client thought that the young man did not want what he denounced to be made public, but only wanted to make sure that Pierre de Castelet De Gaullier details

Three alleged victims have joined

According to Blaquart, his predecessors were aware of these acts and took concrete "measures" against the priest, currently 67, "to avoid contact with young people." But " they did not complain, "he laments

Fort is the first case of bishop accused of not denouncing acts of pedophilia since the conviction of Pierre Pican, bishop emeritus of Bayeux (west), in 2001, to three months in prison for not having denounced the acts of a priest of his diocese, René Bissey, sentenced to 18 years of prison in October 2000.