Daniel Deltreuil, parish priest of Monaco Cathedral, was found guilty of psychological harassment against three employees.
Thirteen days after the hearing on 6 January, the court found that the charges were proven.
Daniel Deltreuil, 67, archdeacon and number three in the diocese of Monaco, was found guilty of psychological harassment committed between November 2019 and November 2022 against three cathedral caretakers.
The judges took into account repeated threats of dismissal, public insults, humiliation and poor working conditions.
Furthermore, allegations of sexual harassment, which were raised during the investigation, were not upheld by the court for procedural reasons.
The court handed down a six-month suspended prison sentence, a lesser penalty than the twelve months sought by the public prosecutor.
The latter had also requested a two-year probation period, a three-year ban on exercising any priestly function, and a ban on contact with minors.
Compensation awarded to victims
The court declared the civil claims of the three victims admissible and recognised the defendant’s full civil liability for the damage suffered. He was ordered to pay €1,000 in damages to the first victim and €2,500 to the second.
With regard to the third victim, the court ordered a forensic examination and ordered Daniel Deltreuil to pay her a provision of €1,000 for the costs of the examination.
The case was brought to the attention of the courts in autumn 2022, following a report by the Archbishop of Monaco, Dominique-Marie David, after cathedral employees informed him of a particularly stressful working situation.
The legal proceedings lasted nearly three years.