A priest from the diocese of Martinique was indicted for rape and remanded in custody this weekend, the Fort-de-France prosecutor's office confirmed to AFP.
The man, in his fifties and who was a chaplain in a hospital, is being prosecuted for rape by a person who abused the authority conferred on him by his position.
The facts date back to 2019 and concern an alleged victim, the prosecution said.
Other alleged victims appear in the file but to date, the man of the Church is not prosecuted for these other facts denounced, specified the same source.
A report made to the archdiocese
The acts were reported by the Archdiocese of Martinique "in accordance with the protocol provided for the transmission to justice of reports of sexual abuse within the Church", indicated the Archdiocese in a press release.
The alleged rapist was arrested Thursday following this report.
“It is very important that a person can speak and trust the authorities,” reacted the Archbishop of Martinique, David Macaire, on local radio RCI.
"Personally, it's a huge sadness," he added.
The archdiocese indicates that it has set up a “neutral and confidential” listening unit in order to “welcome each case in the most appropriate way”.
In October 2021, the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church had counted only one victim in Martinique among the six reported overseas.
A figure judged at the time to be far below reality.
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