Abbé Pierre accused of sexual assault: disarray in the Church

After the shock, came the dismay. In front of a Parisian church on Thursday, July 18, the faithful were still struggling to react to the accusations of sexual assault targeting Abbé Pierre, stunned by the alleged actions of the man who embodied charity. In the investigation report published Wednesday, seven women reported having been subjected to inappropriate gestures, attempted assaults or forced kisses.

The French Bishops’ Conference expressed shame that such acts could have been committed, but had the Church been aware of this for a long time? Victims had come forward to the independent commission on sexual abuse, but did not want these facts to be made public. The people concerned are said to be many more numerous than the seven women who testified. The Emmaüs movement assured France Télévisions on Thursday evening that it was not aware of these testimonies before ordering its own investigation.