Since July 17, Abbé Pierre has been at the center of attention. The newspaper The Cross revealed that he was accused of sexual assault. Emmaüs France spoke out in a press release, returning to the accusations against its founder. “It was important to make public facts which may be similar to sexual assault or sexual harassment committed by Abbé Pierre. can we read. Facts that would have taken place “between the end of the 1970s and 2005”, it is specified. Enough to react to Benjamin Lavernhe who played him in the cinema in the biopic released in 2023.
Guest of the show Nice Gesture broadcast on France 2 this Sunday, November 10, the actor shared his reaction when these revelations were revealed. “I'm already thinking of the victims, there are 25 testimonies and it's terrible,” he began before continuing:
“Obviously, we feel a great betrayal, a great sadness.” Benjamin Lavernhe then returns to the accusations, affirming: “I'm looking for words, but it's hard to find them. Fear, because somewhere, it was a friend”. The actor has never met the priest but he says he felt close to him, especially since he played his role.
Abbé Pierre: the biopic team shocked by the accusations
Benjamin Lavernhe can't believe it. “How could this guy who did so many extraordinary things behave so badly?”he asked before continuing:
“And beyond! The duality of the human being, the ambivalence, it's always a shock”. The actor also spoke about the film team which, according to him, has “collapsed” since these accusations emerged. “To say to ourselves that we missed that and didn't see it, well, that's what's most terrible. So yes, it will take time to recover from it,”
he said.
In September 2024, when the first accusations of sexual assault were publicly revealed, the film team spoke out in a press release. “These crimes, which shed a completely new light on the destiny of Abbé Pierre, were obviously unknown to us at the time we made this film, as they were unknown to the French”, they said. They subsequently gave their full support to the numerous victims, condemning the crimes of which Abbé Pierre is accused.
Abbé Pierre: accusations that provoked reactions
Abbé Pierre, whose real name is Henri Grouès, is accused of touching people he would be used to working with. The events took place between 1970 and 2006, a year before his death. From March to June 2024, seven alleged victims were identified and interviewed. One of them remembers events that date back to when Abbé Pierre was between 65 and 68 years old. According to her statements, she was with him at the foot of a staircase when he started “groping her left breast”.
Another woman spoke, talking about events that took place between the ages of 23 and 25, in the 1980s. According to her, she worked with Abbé Pierre who made very inappropriate gestures. “
While we talk about work, he puts his hands on my chest, my breasts. It surprised me, at the same time, I didn't dare to think about it.” she explained. Another mentions the year 1995, specifying that she reacted. “He puts his hand on my breast. I took his hand, I took it away,”
she declared. Another complainant assures that she
“didn’t want to be near him at all” for fear of suffering again “behavior with a sexual connotation”.
Abbé Pierre, who died in 2007, remains presumed innocent of the charges against him.
