French bishops seek Abbé Pierre inquiry as fresh abuse claims emerge

RFI

17 January 2025 at 8:41 am·1-min read

Abbé Pierre at his headquarters at the Rochester Hotel in Paris in February 1954, shortly after launching his famous appeal to help the homeless.

The head of France's Catholic bishops has called for a judicial investigation into Abbé Pierre following fresh allegations of sexual abuse against the priest and founder of the Emmaüs charity, who died in 2007.

Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the French Bishops Conference (CEF), told French radio on Friday that he had filed a formal request with the Paris prosecutor's office to investigate potential cover-ups of sexual abuse and assault.

Nine new accusations emerged this week in a report commissioned by Emmaüs, bringing the total number of testimonies to 33 since initial revelations surfaced in July. The allegations span from the 1950s to the 2000s.

Among the latest accusations, a family member reported experiencing "sexual contact on her breasts and mouth in the late 90s", while another testimony described "sexual act with penetration on an underage boy".

De Moulins-Beaufort said he was horrified by the latest revelations and therefore had put his request for a legal investigation into writing.

"Only the justice system has the means of investigation necessary to allow all the possible truth to be revealed about the silences and non-denunciations from which Abbé Pierre could have benefited," he said.

French church knew of sexual abuse by late priest Abbé Pierre, bishop says

Renowned priest

Born Henri Grouès in 1912, Abbe Pierre was known across France for his work with the poor through Emmaüs and the Abbé Pierre Foundation. He died in 2007 at age 94.

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Renowned priest

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