Pledge to put victims first in new sex abuse policy

The French Bishops’ Conference, under pressure after sexual abuse cases in Lyon archdiocese revealed faulty responses there, has pledged to shed light on all such cases – even those that have not led to formal complaints, writes Tom Heneghan.

Archbishop Georges Pontier, head of the conference, said the priority must be listening to and caring for victims. The conference’s Permanent Council decided the measures after being mandated to react quickly to the Lyon scandal in which Cardinal Philippe Barbarin has been accused of failing to deal properly with abusive priests. Bishops who know of questionable behaviour must bring this to the attention of judicial authorities, Pontier said, and priests guilty of improper acts should turn themselves in – an important shift in approach to a clear commitment to putting victims first. “We are very close to our priests and this probably does not serve us well in certain moments,” Pontier explained.