Abbé Pierre accused of sexual assault: a minor affected by these “intolerable acts”

Death in 2007, abb&eac; Pierre is accused of by several women of sexual assault. Facts revealed by the newspaper La Croix, after a report from the Egaé firm.

Amazement in the ranks of Emmaüs and the Abbot&eacute Foundation; Rock. In a report published this Wednesday, July 17, seven women testify against the abbé Rock. According to the newspaper La Croix, They accuse in particular the priest of the death ; in 2007 of inappropriate gestures, sexist comments, solicitations and sexual assaults committed by someone who has long been one of the world's favorite personalities. of the French.

A damning report, twelve interviews and seven testimonies

The investigation report published today this Wednesday and consulted by La Croix reports extracts from direct or non-direct testimonies on eight pages. The stories span between the end of the 1970s and 2005. Of the seven women who testified, anonymously, six reported alleged facts that could be qualified as sexual assault. The report reveals a man of the Church who "does not stop himself from seeking to achieve his goals. satisfy his impulses, feeling authorized to &agrav; take actions that are reprehensible by the law of the time" indicates the media. "I's used to defending myself, but this time it was God. What do you do when it's God who makes you ça ?" asks one of the alleged victims.

Touching à chest

It was in June 2023 that a first woman contacted Emmaüs managers. She indicates that she suffered from the abbé Pierre of sexual assaults in the early 1980s. The latter would have introduced his tongue into (his) mouth in a brutal and totally unexpected" after a trip to Italy. After this first testimony Emma decided to mandate the firm Ega to carry out an investigation on the subject. Twelve interviews were carried out. led, with à the key, the report made public this Wednesday. A second alleged victim also explains having been touched at home. chest in a hotel room.

Abbé Pierre, who distinguished himself through his work with the most deprived, was accused of sexual assault by several women between the end of the 1970s and 2005, according to an independent report commissioned by Emmaüs International, Emmaüs France and the Abbé-Pierre Foundation and published this Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

“We salute the courage of the people who testified and allowed, through their words, to bring these realities to light,” emphasize the leaders of Emma's France, Emma's International and the Abbé-Pierre Foundation, in a press release relayed on their website. “We believe them, we know that these intolerable acts have left traces and we stand by their sides,” they added.

Live

20:38 – "It’s hard to believe that the abb’s traveling companions Pierre saw nothing, estimates Margron

Véronique Margron, théologian whoé nbsp;fight against sexual violence within the French Catholic Church, confided in a long interview granted to Liberation this Wednesday. For the one who herself collected the testimony of one of the people who accuses the famous priest, "this& rsquo;it is difficult to believe that the abb’s traveling companions Pierre saw nothing. And to insist: "I can't believe it. Especially since he didn't really seem to be hiding."

20:01 – “I have never beené witness to gestures that could be described as inappropriate, confides Pierre Lunel

Biographer and close friend of the abbé Pierre, Pierre Lunel reacted on RTL this Wednesday evening to the revelations made that same day. "I've beené very often with him, I also saw him in the company of women, I was neveré “witness to gestures that could be described as inappropriate”, he assured, recalling however that “acting” of these questions of a sexual nature, [the abbé Pierre] himself had admitted to well before his death he had broken à on some occasions her vow of chastity. But Pierre Lunel asserts: "I have never seen him in a company of seduction, that is to say a manipulation when you use your aura to seduce."

19:34 – The fear of a drop in donations à Emmaüs after the revelations about the abbé Pierre

In the community Emmaüs, the revelations about the abbé Pierre are a real earthquake, arousing incomprehension, doubt and even fear. "I am very worried about the donations…", thus confides à France 3 Martine Marragou, president of Emmaüs Saint-Aunès. And to wonder: "Is businesses and individuals will still come and give us their unsold items, their second-hand clothes and their furniture ?"

19:09 – After the revelations, the community Emmaüs in shock

Amazement in the community Emmaüs. Several people expressed their shock to France 3. "I was absolutely unaware of the existence of this internal investigation!" confides Martine Marragou, president of Emmaüs Saint-Aunès. And to continue: "L’Abbé Pierre is a guide for so many people and companions. I am in shock, collapsed but my fight for my companions continues." For his part, Dominique Boisseau, director of Emmaüs Montpellier, confides: "I am angry and perplexed. In 2005, the Abboté Pierre was very tired, he wanted to stay alive. barely standing. I absolutely don't see him committing this kind of gesture. Wù are the proofs of these accusations ?" he questions, still ensuring that he while not questioning the word of these women. 

18:49 – The Catholic Church says "its shame" after the accusations against the abbé Pierre

The Catholic Church reacted to the accusations against the abbe; Pierre expressing his "pain" &agrav; reading the testimonies collected by the Egaé for Emmaüs in a posté on X. If she recalls and salutes the work of the abbé Pierre, she assures that "her position cannot exempt us from the work of truthé necessary, which Emmaüs has just achieved with clarityé and courage, by putting oneself to work; listening to the complainants and conducting this investigation. The Catholic Church also expresses "its deep compassion" and "his shame that such acts could be committed by a priest".

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18:27 – "Other victims" would not have been identified

While the work of the Egaé and Caroline De Haas who collected the testimonies made it possible to obtain more than ten stories from alleged victims and witnesses. ;least, the authors of the report as well as the Emmaüs association believe that "other victims […] have not yet been reported ; identified". Emmaüs therefore invites those concerned to take action. manifest and à to speak: "The call system à testimonials will allow us to offer them a place to listen if they wish"

18:15 – An alleged victim of the abbé Pierre mentions a forced kiss

Among the women accusing the abbé Pierre of sexual assault, the one saying she had been touched ' the chest while she was minor adds having been é victim of sexual violence between 1980 and 1989. She evokes a specific episode during which the abbot Pierre would have kissed her forced. "As I was saying goodbye, he inserted his tongue into my mouth in a brutal and totally unexpected way" she declares.

18:03 – Of "sexual propositions" à facts relating to sexual assault

In the fourteen testimonies collected by the Egaé firm, those of victims but also of witnesses , the abbé Pierre is accused of of several facts not all having the same nature. Emma's list of accusations concerning inappropriate behavior of an order personal", a "sexual proposition", "repeated remarks " sexual connotation, “attempts at unsolicited physical contact" and “unsolicited touching" of the breasts".

17:41 – Accusations, but no contradiction possible

The abbé Pierre cannot be confronted with to the accusations made against him by the various witnesses, since he died. But its version of the facts may be the only one contradictory to the accusations, the report from the Egaé cannot be complete and leaves an unfinished taste. explains La Croix. Caroline De Haas who directed; the report explains, however, that the objective “was to identify the nature of the facts and estimate their scale”. In other words, to have a more precise idea of ​​the presumed facts, even if as specified by La Croix &quot ;certain testimonies remain superficial and do not allow us to fully understand the nature of the facts.

17:17 – A behavior that the abbé Pierre knew it was transgressive

The report produced by the Egaé depicts the abbé Pierre as a man aware of the transgressive nature of his behavior with certain women but who did not hesitate to satisfy certain impulses. The report adds that according to testimonies, the man of the Church could stop in front of him. a firm refusal, but indicates that face à the figure of authority nun that the abbot was, some alleged victims could have had difficulty coping. defend themselves during the attacks they report.

16:46 – Assaults which date back to 1977, or even before ?

The stories of the various complainants relate facts which would have taken place between 1977 and 2005, that is to say when the abbot Pierre was aged from 65 &agrav; 92 years old. But while the testimony of these alleged facts took decades to reveal. To be collected, could it be that other previous events took place ? The Emmaüs association expects receive new testimonies after the publication of the report this Wednesday July 17 which could respond to this question.

16:25 – The report highlights an operational mode

< p>The abbé Pierre often seems to enjoy moments &agrave; out of sight, "in an office", "at the foot of a staircase in a type of airlock". During a conversation, "he started talking about something. grope my left breast" explains one of the alleged victims, "between 1977 and 1980" according to her. Three other women reported non-consensual touching of the chest between 1995 and 2005.

16:13 – The behavior of abb&eac; Pierre &eac;were they known at Emmaüs ?

According to the Egaé made public this Thursday and which the newspaper La Croix was able to obtain, the behavior of the abbé Pierre were known within Emmaüs. "It'&eac;was not an &epiphe&eac;nounène" even indicates a person interviewed by the firm. "We thought he had calmed down" would have responded to Emmaüs to several women who denounced her the alleged behaviors of the priest. 

16:05 – A difficult psychological profile à éestablish

The ratio ofEgaé soul&amp ;student also raises the question of the psychological profile of the abbé Rock. "Only the testimonies of people who knew him young could allow us to make a detailed judgment". On the other hand, "we always find this error among Christians: putting a person on a pedestal and not being able to achieve that. seeing the truth, being incapable of sound judgment when revelations of abuse arise. explains Isabelle Chartier-Siben, doctor and victimologist specializing in the treatment of sexual violence in the Catholic Church, interviewed by La Croix.

The group report Egaé indicates that one of the victims preé Sumées was a minor at the time of the facts, between 16 and 17 years old. The abbé Pierre would have touched his chest &agrav; several times in the family home where he was “regularly invited”.