France opens probe into priest accused of abusing migrants in Morocco

A French priest accused of sexually assaulting a minor over 15 and several young adults in Morocco is under preliminary investigation in France, the Saint-Etienne prosecutor said on Thursday, following complaints filed in both countries.

AFP reported that Prosecutor Anne Gaches said Father Antoine Exelmans, 60, is being investigated for alleged sexual assaults “on adults and on a minor over 15 by a person holding authority,” after authorities in Casablanca also lodged a complaint. Exelmans, who returned to France in mid-2024 and lives in the Loire region, was questioned by judicial police in July.

According to Gaches, the priest is suspected of having engaged in sexual relationships with migrants and refugees under his responsibility during his assignment in Morocco, where he served for the Rennes diocese between 2016 and 2024. She said Exelmans told investigators that the alleged acts occurred between 2020 and 2024 in Rabat and Casablanca and claimed they were “freely consented.”

The case was first reported in early November by Moroccan outlet Enass, which alleged a “system of sexual exploitation” involving the priest. The prosecutor said a canonical investigation opened by the Archdiocese of Rabat and forwarded to French authorities suggested Exelmans may have had sexual relations with adults and a minor in the context of social assistance to migrants.

Gaches said the findings remained “too imprecise” and had not been tested through adversarial proceedings, prompting France to request mutual legal assistance from Moroccan authorities.

The Archbishop of Rabat said on 4 November he had ordered an internal investigation after being alerted in July 2024 to concerns about the priest’s conduct with young migrants. The Diocese of Saint-Etienne told AFP that Exelmans, who has been living in a Jesuit community since September 2024, has been barred from performing ministry.