“Rapist”, the portrait of Abbé Pierre tagged on the Lyonnais fresco, “it had to happen”

The word “Rapist” was written in black letters, the face crossed out with a red line. The portrait of Abbé Pierre, which figures prominently on the Lyonnais fresco, was tagged during the weekend. The designer of the mural is not surprised.

The word “Rapist” has been spray painted in large black letters and red paint blocks the eyes. The portrait of Abbé Pierre painted on the Fresque des Lyonnais was defaced in Lyon, his hometown.

Gilbert Coudène, at the origin of this creation, does not seem surprised. “It had to happen.” he said spontaneously. During the latest revelations of sexual assault concerning Abbé Pierre, the question arose as to whether he should be kept in this place on the Lyonnais fresco.

Every day we learn incredible things. What he did is unbearable, but people need to talk. I would like a debate so that we act thoughtfully before deciding anything.

Gilbert Coudène, founder of Cité Création

The Fresque des Lyonnais is a trompe-l’oeil, created by mural painters in 1995, on a six-story building in the center of Lyon. It represents famous Lyonnais, the best known are placed on the ground floor of the building. The full-length portrait of Abbé Pierre rubs shoulders with the chef Paul Bocuse and the writer Frédéric Dard.

The Lyon town hall indicated in mid-September that it was “ready to support the removal of Abbé Pierre from this fresco”and had pressed “Cité Création’s proposal to put up a poster” aimed at informing the public about the ongoing process.

The last time the mural was tagged was just a year ago. In December 2023, a registration “Gone” had covered part of the fresco.