FRANCE
Premier
Thu 09 Jun 2016
By Aaron James
French investigators have questioned a prominent cardinal about alleged failures to report on suspected paedophilia by a priest under his watch, in the highest-profile church abuse investigation in France to date.
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin was named in two investigations of accusations of sexual abuse of children by priests.
Mr Barbarin, one of the highest-ranking figures in the French Catholic Church, is among several church officials accused of failing to report paedophile priests to judicial authorities.
He has denied covering up abuse, but acknowledged some mistakes in handling and appointing priests.
His lawyer, Andre Soulier, said the cardinal is being questioned in Lyon as part of normal proceedings. “He is a witness, and is being questioned as a witness,” Mr Soulier said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
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