Overview

• The tribunal correctionnel de Béthune sentenced Alain Hocquemiller, former prieur of the Riaumont community, to two years of suspended imprisonment for possession of child pornography.
• He is also prohibited from working with minors for five years and has been added to France's sexual offenders registry.
• The conviction follows the discovery of approximately 2,000 illicit files on his devices, with Hocquemiller claiming they were part of an 'educational study.'
• Riaumont remains under multiple investigations for systemic abuse, including violence, sexual assaults, and rape, with further complaints and legal actions involving other clergy members.
• A parliamentary inquiry and recent prefectural orders have intensified scrutiny of Riaumont, which has faced longstanding allegations and lost its school accreditation in 2019.