French cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, convicted over sex abuse cover-up, but will not serve time in jail
- Barbarin’s lawyer announced immediately that he would appeal the judgment
The archbishop of Lyon, the most senior French cleric caught up in the global paedophilia scandal that has rocked the Catholic church, was convicted of failing to report abuse and handed a six-month suspended jail term on Thursday.
A court in Lyon in southeast France ruled that Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, who was not present to hear the verdict, was guilty of failing to report the abuse of a minor between 2014 and 2015.
“The responsibility and guilt of the cardinal have been confirmed by this judgement. It’s an extraordinary symbol, a moment of huge emotion,” a lawyer for the victims, Yves Sauvayre, told reporters afterwards.
The suspended nature of the jail term means he will not serve time behind bars and Barbarin’s lawyer announced immediately that he would appeal the judgment.
“The reasoning of the court is not convincing,” Jean-Felix Luciani said. “We will contest this decision by all the means possible.”