A legendary French priest and a life-long advocate of the homeless was accused of committing acts that may amount to “sexual assault or sexual harassment,” the international foundation he established said in a press release Wednesday.
Abbé Pierre, who died in 2007, was one in every of France’s most beloved public figures. The founding father of the international Emmaus Community for the poor, Abbé Pierre had served as France’s conscience for the reason that Fifties, when he persuaded Parliament to pass a law — still on the books — forbidding landlords to evict tenants during winter.
Several women have accused the late priest of sexual assault or harassment between the top of the Seventies and 2005, his foundation said in a press release. It explained that it’s making public the allegations of seven women, including one who was a minor on the time of abuse, after reviewing the report of an authority firm, which makes a speciality of violence prevention, that was commissioned to take heed to women’s testimonies, and analyze them.
“The Emmaus Community is making public the acts that will amount to sexual assault or sexual harassment, committed by Abbé Pierre,” the statement said. It added that several other women had “suffered comparable acts” of sexual abuse, but were unable to be heard. The alleged victims were employees, volunteers with the inspiration or a few of its member organizations, or young women in Abbé Pierre’s personal entourage, the statement also said.
The foundation has arrange a confidential system for other potential victims to come back forward, for “collecting testimonies and providing support to individuals who were victims of or witnessed unacceptable behavior on the a part of Abbé Pierre,” the statement also said.
In 2021, an independent commission on sexual abuse within the Catholic Church estimated that some 330,000 children were sexually abused over 70 years by priests or other church-related figures in France.
