A French priest who acknowledged sexually abusing at least 75 boys over decades was sentenced Monday to five years in prison, in France's worst case of clergy abuse to reach trial.
The court in Lyon issued the verdict against 74-year-old Bernard Preynat behind closed doors because of the spreading coronavirus that has shuttered most activity in France.
Preynat's case forced the first serious reckoning with sex abuse within the Catholic Church in France.
Preynat testified that multiple cardinals and other senior church officials were aware of his misconduct dating back to the 1960s, but he wasn't removed from the priesthood until last year.
Victims of Preynat's abuse, primarily boy scouts, welcomed his conviction for sexually abusing minors. Preynat was a scout leader.
It's really a relief, said Pierre Emmanuel Germain-Thill, who testified that Preynat's abuse upturned his life.
"Since he's someone of a certain age, it seems like a correct verdict to me. The victims want to turn the page."
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