A French Roman Catholic bishop on trial for covering up for a paedophile priest told a court today he would do the same again rather than break confidences made in a Confessional.
Bishop Pierre Pican of Bayeux-Lisieux whose trial began today in the north-western town of Caen, admitted he had focused more on helping the cleric than aiding the victims and their families.
He is on trial for failing to turn in a priest later jailed for 18 years for the rape of one boy and sexual abuse of 10 others between 1989 and 1996.
Bishop Pican (66) said he confronted Rene Bissey in January 1997 after learning of one abuse case but failed to follow up on other cases the priest admitted to during their talk.
"The failure to investigate what had happened to other victims was a lack of vigilance on our part," said the bishop.
Instead of informing the police Bishop Pican said he sentBissey on a retreat and then had him seek psychiatric help.
He transferred Bissey to a nearby parish in September 1998 but the priest was arrested on paedophilia charges a few days later.
Bishop Pican is the first French bishop to face prosecution for failing to inform on a paedophile priest although similar cases have arisen in other countries as victims of sexual abuse by clerics increasingly blame thehierarchy.