A preliminary investigation was opened after the confessions of Cardinal Ricard, who admitted on Monday to having behaved “reprehensible” towards a minor thirty-five years ago in Marseille, the prosecution announced on Tuesday, November 8. The investigations aim to “verify the elements of this “revelation””said the prosecutor of the Republic of Marseille Dominique Laurens, specifying that“no complaints” had not yet been filed.
Jean-Pierre Ricard, former bishop of Bordeaux retired since 2019, caused a new earthquake in the Church with his statements. “Thirty-five years ago, when I was parish priest, I behaved in a reprehensible way with a 14-year-old girl. My behavior necessarily caused serious and lasting consequences for this person.wrote the cardinal, now 78 years old, without giving more details on the facts of which he incriminates himself and which had taken place while he was stationed in Marseilles.
The facts are probably time-barred, but justice has nevertheless opened a preliminary investigation, the first stage of a criminal investigation intended to enlighten the public prosecutor on the merits of a possible prosecution. It must establish the commission or the attempted commission of a criminal offence.
Cardinal Ricard “at the disposal of justice and the Church”
It may result in the opening of a judicial investigation and the appointment of an investigating judge if the facts are proven and not prescribed, or in a dismissal without further action in the opposite case. In this case, this investigation will have to determine in particular whether there are other possible victims of the cardinal.
As of Monday, the diocese of Marseilles had published a statement reminding “that any person, witness or victim of abuse or inappropriate behavior, emanating from a member of the clergy or a pastoral agent, can be heard by the diocesan listening cell”. He specified that the facts reported were also “under instruction” on the side of the Church, while emphasizing the “pain and [la] pain “ that they lifted.
Cardinal Richard “puts himself at the disposal of justice and the Church. He wants to tell the truth, he will not shirk. So far, the victim has not filed a complaint.for his part, said Christophe Disdier-Chave, diocesan administrator of Digne, where the prelate is in retirement.
Establishment of a “monitoring committee”
In addition, the president of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF), Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, announced, during the closing speech of the plenary assembly of the CEF, Tuesday in Lourdes, the setting up of a ” monitoring committee “ to which any bishop can “refer” in order to be “accompanied in all stages” a procedure for abuse or sexual assault against one of his peers.
The idea is to have “a team of outside experts”which will “an outside view and help on all the steps, civil and canonical, in order to accompany the bishop concerned in the implementation of the steps to be taken so that there are no holes in the racket and avoid any malfunction”said the CEF. “We are also going to act with the Roman dicasteries [services du Vatican] concerned to specify the procedures, establish more precise criteria for the publication of the facts and the sanctions”continued Mr. de Moulins-Beaufort.
These measures are a response, in particular, to the case of Michel Santier, the former bishop of Créteil, sanctioned in 2021 by the Vatican authorities for “spiritual abuse leading to voyeurism on two adult men” in the 1990s and whose silence around its sanction has in recent weeks provoked great anger among Catholics and groups of victims.
This affair has shaken up the initial agenda of the bishops, who have modified their agenda to work on this subject. “There were inadequacies, errors and dysfunctions in the way of reacting to the acts committed by Mr.gr Santier throughout the procedures »said Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, quoting a ” treatment “ of the case “in a closed circuit, between bishops”, “maintained naivety” and “a lack of consideration for the people of God”.