Court to decide fate of French cardinal in sex abuse coverup A French appeals court is deciding the fate of a French cardinal convicted for covering up the sexual abuse of minors by a priest in his flockLyon, France -- A French appeals court is deciding whether a French cardinal is guilty of covering up the sexual abuse of minors in his flock. Barbarin, 69, said at his appeals trial in November that he filed an appeal because "I cannot see clearly what I am guilty of." Preynat, now 74, faces up to 10 years in prison in what is France's biggest clergy sex abuse trial to date. The case against Barbarin hinges on a 2014 discussion with victim Alexandre Hezez, who told the cardinal about the sexual abuse he had suffered in the 1980s by Preynat during scout camps. At the trial of Preynat, victims testified about how much power the priest had held over them and the lifelong damage that his abuse caused.

Source: ABC News January 30, 2020 12:14 UTC