Former priest Jacques Delfosse faces investigation for sexual violence

The Lille prosecutor's office has opened a judicial investigation into Jacques Delfosse, an octogenarian former priest, for sexual violence and the rape of minors. The investigation focuses on seven victims who were participants in summer camps organized by Delfosse between 1990 and 2002. During that period, the victims were aged between five and 18 years old. The alleged crimes took place across several French departments, including Nord, Ardèche, Val-de-Marne, and Hautes-Alpes.

A total of 26 people have filed complaints against the former priest. For 19 of these complainants, legal proceedings have been dismissed due to the statute of limitations.

Delfosse, who served in the Nord and Val-de-Marne regions between 1964 and 2000, was stripped of his priesthood by the Catholic Church in September 2025. He previously received a five-year prison sentence in 2007 for the rape of two teenagers. Following a voluntary hearing in June 2026, an investigating judge will now determine his formal indictment.