Abbé Pierre, long an iconic figure in France for his action towards the most deprived, is targeted by 9 new accusations of sexual violence. Among them are rape of a minor and ‘incestuous abuse’, according to a report from the Egaé cabinet published Monday.
‘The events described took place from the 1960s to the 2000s, most of the time in France and sometimes abroad,’ we can read in this report which brings to 33 the number of testimonies targeting the priest who died in 2007.
A member of Abbé Pierre’s family told Egaé that she had suffered ‘sexual contact on her breasts and mouth at the end of the 90s’. Another testimony mentions a ‘penetrative sexual act on a minor boy’.
The people who testify range from the ’employee of a hotel in which Abbé Pierre stayed’, to the ‘caregivers working in hospitals’ where he was hospitalized, to a volunteer for a youth camp or a humanitarian mission, in passing by a family member or even a flight attendant.
Third report
This is the third report from the firm commissioned by Emmaüs International, Emmaüs France and the Abbé Pierre Foundation to shed light on the actions of Abbé Pierre, whose real name is Henri Grouès.
In July 2023, the first burst of revelations based on 7 testimonies caused a shock wave as Abbé Pierre, tireless defender of the poorly housed and the most deprived, has long been an icon.
Where to shock
Founded by Abbé Pierre, Emmaüs brings together associations and solidarity structures present in around forty countries.
In July 2023, the first series of revelations based on seven testimonies caused a shock wave in France as the priest, tireless defender of the poorly housed and the most deprived, has long been an icon there.
In September, a second report containing 17 new testimonies led the Abbé Pierre Foundation to announce its decision to change its name and Emmaüs to permanently close the place of memory dedicated to the priest located in Esteville (Seine-Maritime).
The latest testimonies ‘absolutely do not allow us to draw up an exhaustive inventory of Abbé Pierre’s behavior’, insists the Egaé firm in its report, noting ‘other testimonies, sometimes anonymous or incomplete’.
/ATS
