French court asks Morocco’s help in probe of priest accused of child sexual abuse

A French court has turned to Morocco for help in investigating Father Yves Grosjean, a 68-year-old priest accused of sexually abusing minors, after rejecting his request for release from jail.

The Dijon Court of Appeal announced on Wednesday that it had issued an international commission to Moroccan authorities, seeking their cooperation in the case. 

Grosjean spent seven years in Rabat between 2017 and 2024, a period now under scrutiny.

Grosjean was first indicted and jailed in May after a young man alleged he had been abused in France in 2010, when he was just 12 years old. 

Since then, the priest has admitted to three other incidents in France. But victim groups believe the scale is much wider, with a collective identifying 17 potential victims among 57 men who had contact with Grosjean as minors.

The controversy around his years in Morocco is central to the investigation. He was moved to Rabat in 2017 after a first complaint in France, which was later dismissed. 

Grosjean stayed in Morocco until 2024, when new accusations emerged in Morocco. At a hearing this week, Grosjean firmly denied any assaults during his time in Rabat.

The victims’ collective has accused both the dioceses of Dijon and Rabat of silence and inaction, publishing an open letter criticizing how church authorities handled repeated warnings about the priest.

Cardinal Cristobal Lopez Romero, Archbishop of Rabat, said he had not received any formal complaints during Grosjean’s stay in Morocco. 

The cardinal admitted, however, that he had personally observed “inappropriate and dangerous behavior” from the priest, though he insisted these actions did not amount to crimes.

In Dijon, church officials said Grosjean was banned in 2024 from any ministry involving minors, following the complaint that led to his imprisonment.

For now, Grosjean remains behind bars in France as investigators await Morocco’s response to the request for cooperation.