The priest Erick, who officiated notably in parishes in the 14th and 19th arrondissements of Paris, was known among the faithful for his mastery of exorcism rituals. It was during these sessions that a young woman claimed to have been raped. The priest was indicted last October and remanded in custody.
The facts denounced by the complainant date back to 2014, a few years after the arrival in France of the priest Erick, originally from Benin. According to information from the Parisian, the latter joined France to follow training in “dogmatic theology”.
Other women accuse him
The alleged victim is the daughter of a faithful. In depression at the time, the young woman, then aged 25, would have asked for help from the man of the Church on the advice of her mother. The priest had the reputation of relieving the spiritual ills of the parishioners thanks to his knowledge of exorcism, the practice of which is recognized by the Catholic Church.
Inviting the complainant to his home, the respondent claimed to be in love with her. He would then have tried to have sex with the young woman, despite the latter’s refusal, who says she managed to escape. The attack would have taken place during a second meeting, during which the priest would have first apologized for his past behavior, before throwing himself on the young woman to rape her.
The alleged victim filed a complaint five years later, on October 31, 2019. According to Le Parisien, two other women reported similar attacks by the priest. One of them claims to have been raped several times, between 2013 and 2014, when she consulted him for seances.
Today, the complainants hope to see the investigation lead to a trial. For his part, the accused contests the facts and evokes reports agreed with one of his followers.