New revelations concerning Abbé Pierre have emerged. A new report published Monday by Emmaus reveals nine new accusations of sexual violence, including rape of a minor and incestuous abuse. In total, 33 testimonies have now been collected.
Tongues are loosened and we learn that the scandal could have broken out just after his death in 2007, but at the time the founder of Emmaüs was untouchable. We have known since last summer, when the scandal broke out, that the Church had been aware of the abuses committed by Abbé Pierre since the 1950s. First greenlit, he was then the subject of close surveillance of those around him, particularly when he traveled abroad. But it is a real leaden screed which protected it for decades.
Since then the world has changed and so has the church. In a press release, the Conference of Bishops of France affirmed yesterday that the accumulation of facts, now known, perpetrated by this priest – who was so admired – is horrifying. Better late than never.
But the general public could have known everything as early as 2007. In fact, a man, Jean-Christophe Ménétrier, now in his seventies, sought at the time to publish a book, “La Conviction”, in which he said that he was the hidden son of Abbot Pierre. It blackened pages and pages, but no publisher ever agreed to publish it.
A documentary director, Patrick Charles-Messance, heard of this project and decided to investigate the abbot. He carried out numerous interviews, notably that of Sanda Slag, a former model, pretty blonde, elegant, who was the long-time companion of singer Mouloudji. Abbé Pierre would have maintained it from 1985 to 1996, notably paying its rent worth around 2000 euros per month.
She speaks of the fascination that the priest had on her, but she would never have given in to his pressing, even violent, advances. On the other hand, she secretly bought pornographic magazines from him at the newsstand at Saint-Lazare station, including a lesbian magazine. Sanda Slag apparently broke up in 1996, following the Garaudi affair, when the abbot took up the defense of one of his friends, a former communist philosopher, who had developed revisionist theses in a book.
Here again, there was the beginning of a scandal, but Abbot Pierre benefited from the indulgence that was given to him at the time. Patrick Charles-Messance tried in vain to have his interviews broadcast. He even gave his tapes to a television channel, but no one ever wanted to lift the veil. A few extracts were only shown on Sunday evening, 18 years after their filming.
As for Sanda Slag, who died in 2010, she wrote a book in 2008, “The Saint and the Sinner”, where she told everything. The book was released, but had no success. At the time, we did not touch an idol, who was the favorite personality of the French. An idol which this time has indeed fallen from its pedestal.
Abbot Pierre
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