Moroccan prosecutors have opened an investigation into sexual abuse allegations targeting a French priest formerly based in Casablanca, after six migrant minors accused him of repeated assaults at a church-run shelter, specialized investigative outlet Enass reported.
According to Enass, the case centers on Father Antoine Exelmans, who ran the emergency housing service for migrants at the Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes parish in Casablanca.
A complaint filed with the Casablanca Court of Appeal in May 2024 exposed what the outlet described as a four-year system of sexual exploitation involving vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from Guinea and Cameroon.
Three victims have been interviewed by Morocco’s National Judicial Police Brigade, and medical tests were ordered by the prosecutor.
The victims, now aged 17 to 21, say they were assaulted while minors. One, a 17-year-old Guinean asylum seeker, said the priest forced him into repeated sexual acts before leaving Morocco for France.
Exelmans, once celebrated for his humanitarian work with migrants and awarded the 2020 Aix-la-Chapelle Peace Prize, allegedly isolated victims under the pretext of offering them psychiatric care.
Enass reported that he procured medication through hospitals and a sympathetic psychiatrist, raising concerns of possible human trafficking.
The Archdiocese of Rabat acknowledged “inappropriate behavior” in a July 2024 statement and announced a canonical inquiry, but did not detail the allegations.
Church officials later said the priest left Morocco in June citing exhaustion, though activists suspect he fled to avoid prosecution.
The Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes parish has since closed its emergency shelter for migrants. The investigation remains ongoing.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.