French priest sentenced to 18 years in prison for abusing youths

CAEN, France - A French court sentenced a Catholic priest to 18 years in prison Friday for raping and molesting teen-agers and children entrusted to his care.

The Rev. Rene Bissey, 56, former abbot of Caen and Mondeville parishes in Normandy, had been formally charged in 1998 with raping and sexually abusing 11 young boys. He has confessed to the charges.

At the close of the five-day trial in Caen, Bissey asked his victims for forgiveness.

''Thanks to prison and doctors, I realized that I was a criminal,'' said Bissey, who has already served some jail time for the charges. ''I'm asking forgiveness for what I have done from the children and the families of the children who are here.''

One victim, now 24, broke down in tears, covering his ears to block out testimony on Friday. He has said he was 12 years old when eight years of abuse began.

''We refuse to accept this request for pardon, which comes a bit late,'' said the lawyer for the families of the victims, Jean Chevais.

Bissey is expected to appeal the court's decision.

On Thursday, two psychiatrists who examined Bissey described him as an intelligent but calculating and obsessive man.

Dr. Philippe Leurteau told the court that Bissey felt no guilt after molesting his victims but was disturbed to have shaken the trust of their parents.

Dr. Louis Anne said Bissey displayed a ''total lack of morality or sense of guilt ... and a total indifference toward his victims.''

''Mr. Bissey is a true, perverted sexual pedophile,'' Anne told the court.

During the trial, Bissey testified that his confessors pardoned him and told him that ''things would work out.''

Bishop Pierre Pican, who was placed under investigation for allegedly ignoring signs of Bissey's pedophilia, testified Wednesday, but refused to discuss any prior knowledge of the crimes.