“a life of struggles” condemns the actions of the religious leader and offers “its support to the victims”

Abbé Pierre, who died in 2007, is the target of accusations of sexual violence committed between the 1950s and 2000s, with testimonies of acts that could, for some, be considered rape or involving minors.

The production and artistic team of the film Abbé Pierre: a life of strugglea biopic released at the end of 2023 with Benjamin Lavernhe in the title role, condemned on Tuesday September 17 the “crimes” committed by the cleric, accused by around twenty women of sexual violence.

Abbé Pierre, who died in 2007, is accused by about twenty women, some of them minors at the time, of sexual violence that for some amounted to rape. Since their revelation this summer by the Egae firm, the question of the silence of institutions has been central.

“These crimes, which shed a completely new light on the fate of Abbé Pierre, were obviously unknown to us at the time we made this film, just as they were unknown to the French people,” said the film crew, who had kept silent until now.

“We condemn these crimes and wish to strongly express our full support for the many victims of Abbé Pierre.”she said in a statement.

The film directed by Frédéric Tellier attracted more than 800,000 spectators in theaters. It was also presented at the Cannes Film Festival in spring 2023. This role was particularly significant for Benjamin Lavernhe, one of the most sought-after actors in French cinema, who had said that he was “fell in love” of the character: “He is a revolutionary, a man on the move who leads crowds.” “There is the beret, the cane, the silhouette, but the truth is not necessarily there. (…) It was necessary to manage to desacralize him, to discover his doubts and his neuroses.”

Abbé Pierre had already had the honor of a biopic in 1989, Winter 54, Abbé Pierrewith Lambert Wilson in the lead role.