The former archbishop of Paris under investigation for sexual assault

Aupetit’s police investigation was opened on the basis of information from the archdiocese of Paris, the Paris prosecutor’s office said, confirming French media.

It was launched in late November 2022, on a possible preliminary charge of sexually assaulting a vulnerable person, the prosecution said. The alleged assault took place several years ago, he added, without providing further details.

Aupetit’s lawyer, Jean Reinhart, said the investigation was triggered by a letter sent to the Archdiocese of Paris. The diocese then forwarded the letter to prosecutors, an automatic procedure for handling potential abuse cases that Aupetit himself put in place when he was archbishop, Reinhart said. Prosecutors then launched the police investigation.

Reinhart said Aupetit had not seen the letter, was not told who wrote it, or what it specifically contained.

“My client is stunned, doesn’t know what it is,” the lawyer said.