FRANCE
Yahoo! News
Lyon (AFP) – French investigators searched the offices of the diocese of Lyon on Wednesday over the alleged cover-up of a paedophile priest, a source close to the probe said.
The diocese said in a statement that the Archbishop of Lyon, Philippe Barbarin, who is under fire over his handling of the affair, “has said repeatedly that he is prepared to cooperate openly with the investigation”.
The search of the offices is linked to the prosecution of Bernard Preynat, a priest who has admitted sexually abusing scouts that he was supervising in the Lyon area of central France more than 25 years ago.
Preynat’s victims have filed a formal complaint against Barbarin and other leading clergy, accusing them of failing to inform the police of the priest’s acts when he became aware of them in 2008.
“As part of the preliminary investigation opened by the Lyon prosecutor, the diocese of Lyon has today handed over to investigators material which could shed light on these tragic events,” the diocese said in a statement.
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