Abbé Pierre, who died in 2007, was accused by several women of sexual assault. Facts revealed by the newspaper La Croix, following a report by the Egaé firm.
Shock in the ranks of Emmaüs and the Abbé Pierre Foundation. In a report published this Wednesday, July 17, seven women testify against Abbot stone. According to the newspaper The crossThey accuse the priest, who died in 2007, of inappropriate gestures, sexist remarks, solicitations and sexual assaults committed by the man who was for a long time one of the French people’s favourite personalities.
A damning report, twelve interviews and seven testimonies
The investigation report published this Wednesday and consulted by La Croix contains extracts of direct or non-direct testimonies on eight pages. The stories span between the end of the 1970s and 2005. Of the seven women who testified anonymously, six report alleged facts that could be described as sexual assault. The report reveals a man of the Church who “does not stop himself from seeking to satisfy his urges, feeling authorized to commit acts reprehensible by the law of the time” indicates the media. “I am used to defending myself, but this time, it was God. What do you do when it is God who does this to you?” wonders one of the alleged victims.
Touching the breasts
It was in June 2023 that a first woman contacted Emmaüs officials. She reported having been sexually assaulted by Abbé Pierre in the early 1980s. The latter allegedly “inserted his tongue into (her) mouth in a brutal and totally unexpected way” after a trip to Italy. After this first testimony, Emmaüs decided to mandate the firm Egaé to conduct an investigation into the matter. Twelve interviews were conducted, resulting in the report being made public on Wednesday. A second alleged victim also explained that she had been groped on the chest in a hotel room.
Live
16:46 – Attacks dating back to 1977, or even earlier?
The accounts of the various complainants relate events that allegedly took place between 1977 and 2005, when Abbé Pierre was aged between 65 and 92. But while the testimonies of these alleged events took decades to be collected, could it be that other earlier events took place? The Emmaüs association expects to receive new testimonies after the publication of the report this Wednesday, July 17, which could answer this question.
16:25 – The report highlights a mode of operation
Abbé Pierre often seems to enjoy moments away from prying eyes, “in an office”, “at the foot of a staircase in a type of airlock”. During a conversation, “he started to grope my left breast” explains one of the alleged victims, “between 1977 and 1980” according to her. Three other women report non-consensual touching of the breast between 1995 and 2005.
16:13 – Was Abbé Pierre’s behavior known at Emmaüs?
According to the Egaé report made public this Thursday and which the newspaper La Croix was able to obtain, Abbé Pierre’s behavior was known within Emmaüs. “It was not an epiphenomenon” even indicates a person interviewed by the office. “We thought he had calmed down” is what Emmaüs is said to have replied to several women who had denounced the priest’s alleged behavior.
16:05 – A psychological profile difficult to establish
The report ofEgaé also raises the question of the psychological profile of Abbé Pierre. “Only the testimonies of people who knew him when he was young could allow us to make a detailed judgment”. On the other hand, “we always find this error among Christians: putting a person on a pedestal and not being able to see the truth, being incapable of a sound judgment when revelations of mistreatment arise” explains Isabelle Chartier-Siben, doctor and victimologist specializing in the treatment of sexual violence in the Catholic Church, interviewed by La Croix.
15:44 – A complainant who was a minor at the time of the events
The group report Egaé indicates that one of the alleged victims was a minor at the time of the events, between 16 and 17 years old. Abbé Pierre is said to have touched her breast several times in the family home where he was “regularly invited”.
15:36 – “The shock was immense for us” admits the president of the Abbé Pierre Foundation
“The shock has been immense for us. The priority is to demonstrate total transparency and do everything in our capacity to help and support the people who have had the courage to testify. I am also thinking of the people we help and support on a daily basis, who suffer from poverty and poor housing. We are going to live through a turbulent period, but I want to tell them that we will tirelessly continue our fight alongside them,” assured Marie-Hélène Le Nédic, president of the Abbé Pierre Foundation this Wednesday.
15:32 – The president of Emmaüs France salutes “the courage of the women who found the strength to testify”
“We salute the courage of the women who, after so many years, have found the strength to testify and the courage to denounce an icon. Campaigning against all forms of violence, particularly those against women, Emmaüs continues its work today with vulnerable people and fights against all forms of precariousness” indicates Bruno Morel, President of Emmaüs France, after the accusations against Abbé Pierre.
15:31 – “We were shocked” says the president of Emmaüs International
“We were moved by the courageous testimony of the victims. If Abbé Pierre inspired the Emmaüs movement throughout the world, today it is the employees and volunteers who embody the values of solidarity and mutual aid that we defend. Emmaüs’ vocation to help the most vulnerable, everywhere in the world, must more than ever be our compass today,” declared Patrick Atohoun, President of Emmaüs International.