The city of Nancy announced on Monday, September 9, the removal of a commemorative plaque, placed seven months earlier, in tribute to Abbé Pierre, after the publication of numerous testimonies accusing the former priest of sexual violence.
“Given these serious revelations, the municipality of Nancy has therefore decided to permanently remove the plaque in memory of Abbé Pierre,” wrote the city, led by socialist Mathieu Klein, in a press release.
The plaque was affixed to the place where Abbé Pierre, MP for Meurthe-et-Moselle from 1945 to 1951 for the Christian Democrat Popular Republican Movement (MRP), held his parliamentary office.
Abbé Pierre, whose real name was Henri Grouès, died in 2007 and was for a long time the French people’s favourite figure for his tireless commitment to combating poor housing.
Damning testimonies
His image has been seriously tarnished since the publication this summer, in two stages, of damning testimonies. In total, 24 women accuse him of sexual violence committed between the 1950s and the 2000s, according to reports from the Egaé firm commissioned by the associations of the Emmaüs movement that he founded.
Some testimonies describe facts that could be similar to rape, or concern minors.
The Abbé Pierre Foundation for housing the underprivileged has subsequently announced that it will change its name, and Emmaüs has announced the permanent closure of the memorial site dedicated to Abbé Pierre in Esteville (Seine-Maritime).
“The words of the victims, women and children, must be heard, respected and supported as a priority. The death of Abbé Pierre and the age of the facts reported cannot contravene the establishment of the truth,” justifies the city of Nancy.
- BFMTV.com
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