Couple on trial over false report of a Catholic priest in France

Inquiries by civil investigators found nothing to incriminate priest accused of questionable behaviour with children

Châlons-en-Champagne Cathedral. (Photo by Marc Ryckaert/MJJR/Creative Commons)

In a rare and sensitive case, Marie-Jeanne and Jean-Louis Martin, a married couple aged in their seventies, went on trial in Châlons-en-Champagne on Feb. 27 for allegedly making a false report regarding a Foyer de Charité priest, Father François-Jérôme Leroy, 71.

In March 2018, the couple sent a letter to prosecuting authorities at Châlons-en-Champagne, which resulted in an investigation of Father Leroy.

The investigation was later dropped. Father Leroy, in turn, lodged a complaint over the harm caused to his reputation which he said had not been restored.

No incriminating evidence

In their letter, which was sent to prosecutor Eric Virbel, the Foyers de Charité leadership and Bishop François Touvet of Châlons, the Martins alleged that Father Leroy, who was in charge of the Foyer de Charité at Baye in France's Marne region, had displayed "excessive behavior" in his interactions with children.

More seriously, they alleged that they personally knew the victims and also reported rumors of other even more questionable actions.

After receiving the letter, Bishop Touvet and the Foyers of Charity then reported the allegations to prosecutors, who launched an investigation.

Father Leroy was removed from his leadership post at Foyer de Charité, a retreat house, and made himself available to legal authorities, who examined the allegations reported by the couple.

But inquiries by the investigators found nothing to incriminate the priest.

No intention to cause harm

The case was closed in autumn 2018 and would have ended there if Father Leroy's reputation had not already been harmed by the affair, which by then had become public.

Arguing that anonymity was "no longer tenable," Bishop Touvet not only announced that the priest had been suspended from the Foyer de Charité for the duration of the investigation, but also divulged his identity.

In an effort to restore his name, the priest lodged a complaint for making a false report on July 20. According to L'Express newspaper, the Martins continue to insist on the truth of the allegations made in their 2018 letter to the authorities.

Interviewed by La Croix, the couple's lawyer insisted that the report was only made available to prosecutors and Catholic authorities and that Bishop Touvet alone was responsibility for media publicity over the matter.

"The report was not public and there was no intention to cause harm," said the couple's lawyer, Jean Chenais. "That is turning the facts upside down!"

Meanwhile, the Châlons-en-Champagne prosecutor agreed that it was necessary to rehabilitate Father Leroy's reputation as well as that of the victims of pedophile priests.

"This discredits all other victims and the nobility of their fight," he told L'Express. "We will only be able to protect them if false accusations are prevented."