The Emmaus village of Lescar-Pau is the target of an internal investigation launched since the beginning of the summer as indicated on Wednesday July 27 by the Republic of the Pyrenees. In a press release published on July 8, the Federation of all the villages in the territory, Emmaüs France, indicates that it has launched investigations following the publication ofan article published by the media Reporterre, on June 28. Article that points the finger at the working conditions imposed in the Béarnaise structure by its manager, Germain Sarhy.
“Scapegoat”
“What is written is completely false, and excessive” reacts the one who is the founder and the person in charge of this Emmaüs village, the largest in France. He refers to the testimonies relayed in the article, which report shocking working conditions, close to exploitation or slavery. Stories that also directly incriminate Germain Sarhy as tyrannical.
For his part, the founder of the village of Lescar-Pau indicates that he is a “scapegoat”the target of people who have trouble digesting having been pushed out of Emmaus because of problematic behavior : “People who come to Emmaüs Lescar-Pau are people who have quite a fragile, difficult past, and whose behaviors are sometimes not simple. Some, to whom we have told to leave, know very well the behavior they have had when they were at our house. And of course, their way of protecting themselves is to accuse us“.
Emmaus-France regrets an article directed
Be that as it may, a group of investigators has been set up internally at Emmaüs-France. He went there last week to visit the place, question the leader as well as several Companions, those who work in the village. After these investigations, the Federation will decide whether an external investigation should be launched. However, Emmaüs-France specifies that it remains very cautious in the face of an article qualified as “dependent” against the village of Lescar and its founder.
The structure reminds us that the Emmaus community model remains unique, with specific statutes, where labor law applies in a specific way. We are not talking about “employees” for example, but “solidarity workers”. The Federation also indicates thatshe has never received any report of serious facts as described in the article of Reporterre. “It is logical and normal for Emmaus-France to come and meet with us following this article” says Germain Sarhy. “It’s to understand what we’re doing, and to understand the reason for this article. But we have nothing to fear”.