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Abbé Pierre accused of sexual violence: a report incriminates the founder of Emmaüs
A report commissioned by Emmaüs International and the Abbé Pierre Foundation published on Wednesday, July 17, reveals that Abbé Pierre, whose real name is Henri Grouest, is accused of sexual assault by several women. The facts date back to the 1970s.
(France 2)
A report commissioned by Emmaüs International and the Abbé Pierre Foundation published on Wednesday, July 17, reveals that Abbé Pierre, whose real name is Henri Grouest, is accused of sexual assault by several women. The facts date back to the 1970s.
Long a favorite personality of the French, Abbé Pierre is accused of sexual assault. In an investigation report commissioned by Emmaüs, seven people say they were victims of the priest, including a minor. The events allegedly took place between the end of the 1970s and 2005. Véronique Margron, a nun, received the first one last year. “It was an extremely serious conversation, (…) with the fear of saying each time that it was about Abbé Pierre, of making it clear that she did not want to harm the Emmaüs movement”she remembers.
These revelations have sent shockwaves through the Emmaüs community. In Esteville (Seine-Maritime), where he has been buried for 17 years, a centre has decided to close its doors in support of the victims. For Kamel Fassataoui, head of the Emmaüs community in Marseille, this is a “bad joke”. During his lifetime, Abbé Pierre had confessed in a book to having broken his vow of chastity. The Catholic Church expressed its “shame” after these revelations. At least five other victims have been identified as having suffered violence from Abbé Pierre.
