Former French cardinal admits to sexually abusing underage girls 35 years ago.

(Associated Press)

[Instant News/Comprehensive Report] The 78-year-old former Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, the highest-ranking Catholic Church in France, has admitted to sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago and announced his resignation from religious duties.

Rickard said he had spoken to the victim and obtained forgiveness, promising to take responsibility.

Some 330,000 children in France have been sexually abused by religious figures over the past 70 years, research shows.

According to the Guardian, a 78-year-old former French cardinal Ricard has admitted that 35 years ago, when he was a priest at the time, he sexually abused a 14-year-old girl and publicly announced that he would quit religious work.

Rickard was ordained a cardinal in 2006, the highest-ranking cleric cardinal in the Catholic Church, also known as a cardinal because of his red robe.

After retiring in 2019, he returned to his hometown of Digne-les-Bains to serve in the parish.

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Rickard said he had visited the victim and obtained her forgiveness.

French Bishops' Conference President Moulins-Beaufort also revealed that French judicial and church investigations showed that a total of 11 bishops or former bishops, including Ricard, were accused of sexual abuse scandals. victims of abuse to pay financial compensation.

According to a 70-year study, about 330,000 children in France have been victimized by churches, of which 216,000 were sexually abused by priests or other related clergy, and the rest were abused by related institutions.

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