This January 13, 2025, a new report from the independent firm Egaé revealed nine new testimonies of sexual assault and rape attributing to Abbé Pierre, occurring between the 1960s and 2000. These accusations are in addition to those already published in the reports previous reports, bringing the total number of corroborated testimonies to 33. The majority of victims are women, although one of the testimonies concerns a rape of a minor boy. The report follows an investigation carried out on behalf of Emmaüs, aimed at exploring the actions of Abbé Pierre, a once revered man of the Church.
The January report reveals some particularly moving stories. Among the new victims, Danièle, aged 73, recounts having suffered repeated sexual assaults from Abbé Pierre during a humanitarian mission in Bangladesh in 1972. She reports forced touching and other inappropriate gestures. It also evokes an atmosphere of emotional manipulation where Abbé Pierre, aged 60 at the time, sought to exploit his vulnerability by presenting himself as suffering from emotional deficiencies. This type of behavior is recurrent in the testimonies collected, with victims often under psychological influence and not consenting.
A climate of threat and silence around the victims
The report also highlights how Abbé Pierre managed to maintain silence around his actions. Many victims, after reporting the attacks to those around them, were ignored or not believed. Some spoke of direct threats or intimidating behavior, which pushed them to remain silent. This climate of fear and manipulation allowed Abbé Pierre to continue his actions for several decades without the competent authorities intervening.
The investigation carried out by Egaé reveals the extent of Abbé Pierre’s reprehensible acts. Although the new testimonies report 33 corroborated victims, the report emphasizes that other testimonies, anonymous or incomplete, were received, suggesting that the reality of the facts could be even broader. The Egaé group indicates that, although the cross-checking of the facts made it possible to validate part of the accusations, some victims did not wish to testify, and others died. The report therefore warns that the total extent of abuses committed by Abbé Pierre could be much greater.
Following the revelation of these new testimonies, Emmaüs, the organization founded by Abbé Pierre, expressed a public apology for the actions committed by a trusted figure who betrayed his ideals and those who supported him. Emmaus International’s general delegate, Adrian Chaboche, said the organization was ready to consider a compensation scheme for victims, but such a process took time to be structured appropriately. At the same time, an independent commission was set up to investigate the dysfunctions which allowed Abbé Pierre to act with impunity for more than 50 years. Furthermore, the Conference of Bishops of France announced the publication of the archives concerning Abbot Pierre, in order to shed light on these affairs.
