In brief
Amid a parliamentary inquiry, François Bayrou is grappling with mounting pressure due to disturbing revelations of abuse at a school tied to his past, with legal complaints against staff rising dramatically.
In a tense parliamentary session on Wednesday, French Prime Minister François Bayrou testified under oath regarding allegations of physical and sexual violence at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school, a private Catholic institution linked to him and his family. Bayrou vehemently asserted that he had never received any direct reports about the abuse, claiming his knowledge stemmed solely from media coverage. However, this narrative has been scrutinized, particularly since early last year, over 200 legal complaints have surfaced involving accusations against priests and staff from the school, covering incidents that occurred between 1957 and 2004.The inquiry escalated when Bayrou contradicted his earlier statements made in February to the National Assembly, wherein he claimed unequivocally that he had never been informed of any instances of violence, especially sexual violence. This is noteworthy given that he was the education minister during a period when concerns for the school were already raised; in 1996, he ordered an inspection after a supervisor was convicted of abusing a minor.Adding to the complexity of the situation, Bayrou's daughter, Hélène Perlant, recently disclosed that she had been physically assaulted by a priest during a camp when she was just 14, a revelation she kept from her father. The parliamentary inquiry revealed an atmosphere of turmoil, marked by accusations and heated disputes as Bayrou defended himself against what he described as a politically motivated attack. As the prime minister and mayor of Pau, a nearby town, he maintains that the unfolding scandal is being exploited by his adversaries.
