Former Lyon Catholic school director faces criminal complaint for aggravated rape

Legal complaint and criminal investigation

A formal criminal complaint accusing Father Jean-Bernard Plessy of aggravated rape and aggravated sexual assault was announced on Friday, September 11, 2026. Plessy, aged 63, previously led Institution des Chartreux, a Catholic educational institution in Lyon, for 27 years. The complainant is an adult student who was placed directly under his institutional authority. Lawyer Nadia Debbache, who represents the victim, stated that the alleged abuse persisted across several months until July 2026. The Lyon prosecutor's office confirmed the complaint on Friday after initiating a penal investigation based on an earlier formal notification submitted by the Diocese of Lyon.

Archdiocesan measures and canonical inquiry

The diocese initiated disciplinary action against Plessy prior to the public announcement of the criminal complaint. On September 2, 2026, Archbishop of Lyon Olivier de Germay announced precautionary measures against Plessy, removing the priest from his leadership post at Institution des Chartreux. The archdiocese confirmed that it had initially received information regarding the matter in June 2026 after the victim approached the diocesan listening unit. In addition to the civil criminal proceedings handled by the prosecutor, the archbishopric initiated an internal canonical investigation into the cleric. Archbishop de Germay described the diocesan reaction after hearing the woman's account.

We questioned her to find out more because we had no information about the priest, nor about herself, nor about the institution. As soon as I knew who it was, I summoned the director of the Chartreux to remove him from his duties.

Dispute over diocesan framing

The public announcement made by the archdiocese provoked criticism from the victim's legal counsel regarding the terminology selected to describe the allegations. In its September 2 release, the archdiocese stated that the sanctions followed a relationship with an adult student under Plessy's authority. Lawyer Nadia Debbache argued in a public statement that reducing sexual violence to the term relationship minimises the severity of the acts and inflicts a second trauma on the victim. Debbache noted that the complaint cites aggravated charges due to the position of authority exercised by Plessy as well as factors related to the vulnerability of the victim. The Diocese of Lyon responded in a statement that it had selected the term relationship because it was the specific word used by the young woman herself during initial communications.

Resignation letter to parents

Before church authorities announced his formal removal, Plessy had already communicated his departure to the school community. At the end of the academic school year, the priest addressed a letter to parents of students on July 9, 2026, to announce his resignation after 27 years at the helm of the institution. In the letter, Plessy characterised his departure in reflective terms.

One must know how to leave with gratitude and the feeling of duty accomplished.

Plessy was ordained as a priest in the diocese before taking charge of the educational institution. The judicial investigation by the Lyon prosecutor's office and the canonical inquiry by the archdiocese are proceeding concurrently.