LONDON (ENGLAND)
The Tablet
Dec. 16, 2019
By Tom Heneghan
Two more cases of clerical sexual abuse have added new twists to the series of accusations that gnaw away at the image of the Church in France.
The murder of an elderly priest last month has slowly brought to light a sordid story of the priest’s sexual abuse of the suspected killer and his father. The Bishop of Beauvais in northern France has been dragged into the scandal.
Fr Roger Matassoli, 91, was found dead on 4 November at his home near Beauvais, choked by a crucifix stuffed down his throat. There were also multiple blows to his body. A 19-year-old suspect named Alexandre was soon arrested but has been held in hospital because he appeared delirious.
A month later, the suspect’s father told a newspaper the priest had abused him years ago and still influenced him as an adult. Matassoli later abused Alexandre and had him clean his house while naked.
The father, given the pseudonym Stéphane by the daily Le Parisien, said the abuse had worsened Alexandre’s mental problems.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.