Canada has requested the extradition of a French priest accused of sexually abusing Inuit children more than 30 years ago and seen by many as a symbol of impunity in the Catholic Church, Canada’s Attorney General said in an email.

“I am aware that the extradition request sent to France has been published and this has just been confirmed by officials in my department,” David Lamett said in his letter. But he refused to give any details.

“It is important for Canada and its international partners that serious crimes be fully investigated and held accountable,” he added.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged receipt of this request, explaining that “the Ministry of Justice is studying it.”

The announcement comes ahead of Pope Francis’ trip to Canada, during which he asked for forgiveness for the violence committed at boarding schools, where many children have been abused.

Last February, an arrest warrant was issued in Canada for the father of Johann Revoir, who spent three decades in the far north of Canada. The memorandum follows a new complaint filed in September about sexual assault 47 years ago.

He has yet to be charged and authorities have not established the total number of his alleged victims.

Between 1998 and 2017, an arrest warrant was issued for Revoir for the sexual abuse of three minors, but it was never carried out.

The priest left Canada in 1993 and now lives in Lyon, France.