Whoever is nicknamed “horse” is targeted by at least 74 complaints in the Betharram case. After leaving the Béarn, he continued his career in two new establishments.
In the Betharram case, a man is targeted by at least 74 complaints for rape, sexual assault and violence on a minor. Damien S. dit “horse”, is a former supervisor of Notre-Dame de Betharram dormitory in Béarn. He had been arrested and placed in police custody on February 19, before being released due to the prescription of the facts. At the same time, several overwhelming testimonies aim.
In the columns of France Info, a former pupil, Eric, describes the one who was then recruited at 23 as a supervisor in 1978: “A real torturer, a sadistic, cruel, vicious, pervert, a barbaric disguised as a young man of good family, with his jacket Yves Saint-Laurent and his small glasses circulated by golden metal”, can be read. “Horse” had in particular a “specialty”, he confides: that of “perron”.“I find myself standing in pajamas, outside, on the steps for about three hours, after whispering in the dormitory. ‘Horse’ arrives around a hour, he makes me put on his knees […] Originally leaning my head forward. With my eyes aside, I see his pants stretched out in terms of her sex. […] He orders me to ask for forgiveness. What I do. He returns his signet ring on the other side so that it does well during the shot. He immediately sends me a single and very strong slap. We can rather call it a donut “. At the time, the student was 12 years old. And this testimony is far from being the only one concerning” horse “.
Another ex-student of the private establishment assures him: “He (horse) was my rapist during my four years, from 1983 to 1988”. A third testifies to him in the columns of South West: “He took me on his lap, kissed me by force on my mouth and made me blowjob,” he confides. As a reminder, Damien S. was dismissed from Bétharram in 1989. According to information from France Info, he recognized during his custody of physical violence, but challenged the accusations of sexual assault and rape.
“He is strong this gentleman, he is never worried”
After Notre-Dame de Bétharram, “horse” went through the Catholic institution Saint-Dominique de Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine), between 1989 and 1997 as censor, specifies in a letter (which France Info was able to consult) the Catholic education of Hauts-de-Seine. According to Catholic education, his departure from Béarn is due to family reasons. “Without investigation and without anything, he leaves Betharram for manners and he is taken,” lands Alain Esquerre, the spokesperson for the victims of Betharram. “He is strong this gentleman, he bounces without any problem, he is never worried this gentleman,” he continues. Catholic education claims to have “to date knowledge of any complaint concerning its years of presence in Saint-Dominique”. At the end of his career, “horse” successively joined the Saint-Paul Bourdon Blanc high school, in Orleans, then the Léon-XIII college, in Châteauroux. The posts ofEducation andDeputy director are successively entrusted to him.
From this Monday, March 17, the‘Notre-Dame-de-Betharram establishmentis controlled by the Bordeaux rectorate. “”It is important that we can measure the climate of the establishment and that we can ensure that the dramatic facts reported by former students can no longer occur today, “said this Monday, the Minister of National Education, Elisabeth Borne at the microphone of France Info.” Eight national education staff “will be on site” for four days “, she said. Conclusions of the inspection in the Béarnais establishment. now, in general and to densify the control process, “60 additional inspectors” and “40 % of private establishments will be inspected in the next two years,” she said.