French priest charged with rape, child abuse

VERSAILLES: A Catholic priest in Versailles, west of Paris, has been charged with rape and the sexual abuse of a minor, the regional diocese said in a statement.

Father Laurent Thuillier was charged on Friday with raping an adult and the sexual abuse of a minor as well as “psychological harassment” and “sexually soliciting a minor under the age of 15,” the local church authority added.

An enquiry was opened in late 2016 after a complaint by a female parishioner and her then 13-yearold daughter.

The Bishop of Versailles Eric Aumonier said on Monday that he had “taken the necessary measures as soon as he was aware of the accusations,” that were made against Thuillier.

The accused priest has been banned from contacting the complainant or her family members.

He has also been relieved of all his parish duties, including conducting mass or hearing confessions.

The priest’s lawyer Frederic Landon confirmed the indictment but said Thuillier “fiercely contests the facts alleged against him”.

The lawyer said he would ask for the case to be dropped.

In May 2016, a group of Catholic women in Versailles decried the “silence” and “dysfunctioning” of the Versailles diocese over the matter.

They subsequently set up the “Like a Loving Mother” support group for victims of abuse by catholic clergy.

The group said in a statement Monday that the charges against Thuillier “are a relief after a twoand-a-half year process”. — AFP