FRANCE – A presence that has become undesirable. After the new accusations of sexual violence targeting Abbé Pierre, the attribution of his name to several places is now being called into question due to these shocking revelations about the founder of Emmaüs.
Abbé Pierre: Can the new revelations of sexual violence have legal consequences?
This Monday, September 9, it is the city of Paris that announces its intention to rename a garden in the 13th arrondissement, which bore the name of the French clergyman. Revealed in the columns of Parisianthe name change of the “ Abbé-Pierre gardens » Grands Moulin, located at 15 rue Thomas-Mann, was confirmed at HuffPost by the office of the Mayor of Paris. We are looking at the schedule. “, we are told.
Waves of damning testimonies
An approach that should become the norm in the coming weeks and months. The consequence of the revelations that began during the summer with a report evoking facts of sexual assaults perpetrated by the priest between the 1950s and 2000s. Revelations about facts that are also known within the Church, according to the newspaper The Cross.
Since the thunderclap caused by the first wave of testimonies on July 17, the Egae group, tasked since that date by Emmaüs and the Abbé Pierre Foundation with collecting potential new testimonies, a new series of shattering revelations took place on Friday, September 6: Egae collected 17 new testimonies (12 direct and 5 indirect) concerning sexual violence allegedly committed against minor and adult women.
The new testimonies, dated September 2, report contacts “ unsolicited breast massage »of “ forced kisses »of “ forced blowjobs » of “ repeated sexual contact with a vulnerable person”« repeated acts of sexual penetration” or even of “ sexual contact with a child ».
Josephine Baker rather than Abbé Pierre
Allegations sufficient to motivate the Abbé Pierre Foundation to also change its name, as it announced in the wake of the new cases identified by Egae. An extraordinary general meeting must take place before the end of 2024 to make a final decision on the matter. For its part, the Emmaüs association revealed at the same time its intention to permanently close the place of remembrance dedicated to Abbé Pierre in Esteville, a small town in Seine-Maritime where Henri Grouès – his name on the civil registry – has been buried since his death in 2017.
In this desire to erase the name of Abbé Pierre from the many places which have been named in homage to his work for the most precarious, The Parisian cites several other places in France that could make a quick change. Among them, streets, squares or places of public spaces. Like in Esteville, where the school should be renamed according to the mayor of the city.
A square in Alfortville, the town where Abbé Pierre spent the end of his life, is to suffer the same fate. Abbé Pierre Square will thus give way to Joséphine Baker Square, according to the Parisian daily. A statue in the square is also to be replaced.
Also see on Le HuffPost :
Revelations about Abbé Pierre: at Emmaüs, volunteers and companions are “stunned”
Sexual violence: Abbé Pierre accused by an eighth woman of sexual assault
