Bernard Kouchner “refuses to change his mind” about Abbé Pierre, his friend, accused of sexual assault

SEXUAL VIOLENCE – A divisive posture. Guest on the show C the weekly on France 5 Saturday January 18, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner was invited to speak on the new damning accusations made against Abbé Pierre, to whom he was particularly close before his disappearance.

The reputation of the founder of Emmaus, tarnished by the multiplication of revelations of sexual abuse, spread over almost half a century, forced the man who co-founded Doctors of the World to speak out. In a particularly delicate balancing act.

Recalling that 33 testimonies against Abbé Pierre have already been revealed, presenter Aurélie Casse asked him for his opinion on his actions, as a former friend. “We say a lot to each other. In terms of the accusations and the reports that are coming out, certain areas do not seem clear to me. But anyway, we say to ourselves that it’s disgusting of course. But that’s not enough to talk about a man like Abbé Pierre”he replied.

“Let’s not forget everything he did. That doesn't excuse anything.”he added vigorously, before questioning the fact of being “chaste when you are Catholic”. A remark which immediately made the host react, for whom “the chastity of priests in no way excuses the sexual violence of which they are accused”.

“I’m not excusing it!” I find it disgusting”the former Minister of Health under Jacques Chirac raged. “Of course it's horrible, but still, once again, let's not forget everything he did on the other hand. »

“That didn’t stop him from doing good on the side! »

A slightly nuanced but divisive position after the shock caused by the successive revelations about a man known for his humanitarian commitment. And given his own proximity to Abbé Pierre, with whom he notably wrote the book God and men.

The subject was once again featured on television when Bernard Kouchner was interviewed by BFMTV on Saturday. “You can't change your mind about a friendship just because the man is bad”he continued. “I didn’t know, I didn’t say, I didn’t even suspect”replied Bernard Kouchner again, before being referred by the journalist to his own family experience. “You think, Bernard Kouchner, that this “but” that you put in your sentence… I cannot not ask you the question, but your daughter, who has become one of the faces in France of the fight against incest, Do you think she can hear it? ». A direct reference to Camille Kouchner, who revealed the incest committed on her twin brother by her father-in-law, the political scientist Olivier Duhamel, in a book published in January 2021.

Without really answering, Bernard Kouchner returned to the root of the problem according to him: “what I condemn is this kind of pseudo-chastity that is required of a believer in the Catholic religion”. A remark which, as on France 5, provoked immediate reactions among his interlocutors, recalling that the accusations against Abbé Pierre are “sexual assault”some of which on minors, not one “simple romantic relationship with a woman outside of these vows (of chastity)”.

“That didn’t stop him from doing good on the side! »the former politician once again got carried away. “Don't try to overload me with sins, I don't feel like I'm the receptacle of them… That's how it is, it annoys me, it's disgusting. Yes, well, so what? »ended up letting go of Bernard Kouchner, unwavering to the idea of ​​defending work for “good versus evil” of his former friend.

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