France’s Catholic church has announced that it will open its records on allegations of sexual abuse and harassment made against Abbé Pierre, a priest who was venerated as a modern-day saint for his work with the poor and homeless. Seven women accused Pierre of sexual assault in July, and since then Emmaüs, the charity he founded, has received further testimonies including “very serious” accusations of sexual abuse, some involving children.
The Abbé Pierre Foundation, Emmaüs France, and Emmaüs International have expressed their support for the victims and have decided to distance themselves from their founder. The organizations are considering removing Pierre’s name from their logo and changing their names. Additionally, the Abbé Pierre memorial centre in Normandy will close permanently.
Emmaüs has hired an independent consultancy to investigate the allegations, which date back to the 1950s and are reported to have taken place in multiple countries. The investigation has uncovered details of “repeated sexual contact with a vulnerable person”, “repeated penetrative sex acts”, and “sexual contact with a child”.
Abbé Pierre, whose real name was Henri-Antoine Grouès, was a revered figure in France known for his humanitarian work. The Catholic Church has expressed its “pain” and “shame” over the accusations and has pledged full cooperation in the investigation. The church has been grappling with the fallout of a report that identified over 3,000 cases of sexual abuse by priests since 1950.
Emmaüs International is now considering how to compensate the victims and has emphasized the need for responsible decision-making regarding Abbé Pierre’s legacy within the organization. The movement seeks to move forward from these shocking revelations that have forever altered its history.
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