Bishop convicted of abuse cover-up

Nearly 30 French priests have been convicted of crimes relating to paedophilia over the past decade

CAEN, France -- A French Roman Catholic bishop has been sentenced to a three-month suspended prison term for covering up the activities of a paedophile priest.

Pierre Pican, bishop of Bayeux-Lisieux, has been on trial in the north-western French town of Caen since June, charged with failing to inform authorities that a priest in his diocese had admitted to sexually abusing children.

Father Rene Bissey has since been jailed for the rape of one boy and sexual abuse of 10 others between 1989 and 1996.

Pican told the court he confronted Bissey in January 1997 after learning of one abuse case.

But he failed to notify police of both that case and other offences which the priest admitted.

Bissey admitted to sexually abusing children in a private conversation with the bishop, rather than during "confession" in church.

French law states that information divulged during a confession can remain a secret between the two parties.

But since the conversation took place in private, Pican is not covered by those laws.

The bishop said he urged Bissey to seek psychiatric help instead of informing the police.

Though he transferred Bissey to a nearby parish in September 1998, the priest was arrested on charges of paedophilia just a few days later.

Pican is the first French bishop to be prosecuted for failing to reveal details of paedophilia in the clergy.