The former leader of a French political party has been fined €5,000 ($5,470; £3,686) for ‘publicly inciting hatred or violence’ against LGBTI people.
A court in Paris on Thursday (17 December) handed down the sentence to Christine Boutin, ex-president of the of Christian Democratic Party, for saying that ‘homosexuality is an abomination’ in April 2014.
Boutin – who was minister of housing and urban development under President Nicolas Sarkozy – must also pay €2,000 in damages to two LGBTI groups, Mousse and Le Refuge.
‘This decision sets a precedent for several reasons. It is no longer possible to escape criminal liability for homophobic remarks under the guise of religious discourse,’ said Etienne Deshoulières, the lawyer for Mousse.
In a 2014 interview with Charles magazine, Boutin said: ‘Homosexuality is an abomination. But not the person.
‘The sin is never acceptable, but the sinner is always forgiven.’
She has already announced on Twitter her intention to appeal.
https://t.co/8WhyxgULKi Je fais appel
— christine Boutinن (@christineboutin) December 18, 2015