Shock waves for the French PM as his daughter discloses allegations of school abuse.
Title: Bayrou's Daughter Speaks Out: No Awareness of School Abuses, PM Insists
Francois Bayrou | France | Allegations Against Notre-Dame de Bétharram School
Seen through the Lens of His Daughter
In the midst of the ongoing storm rocking his premiership, Francois Bayrou, the French Prime Minister, has vehemently denied knowing about the abuse allegations at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school during his time as education minister in the 1990s. His eldest daughter, Hélène Perlant, 53, has made shocking revelations of her own, claiming physical abuse as a child at the very Catholic school.
The media buzzed with news that Bayrou was left in a state of shock upon learning his daughter, one of the alleged victims at the school, had shared her tale of woe.
Hundreds of former pupils have laid complaints against the school’s staff over the past year, alleging physical and sexual abuse between 1957 and 2004. Bayrou has faced accusations of knowing about the abuse but failing to act, a charge he firmly denies.
In a heart-wrenching interview with Paris Match, Perlant detailed her encounter with one of the school's priests during a summer camp in the Pyrenees, when she was just 14. The priest, she recounts, violently attacked her, leaving her "covered in bruises" and suffering from "severe tinnitus."
Perlant’s disturbing revelation came prior to the publication of 'The Silence of Bétharram,' a book authored by fellow victim, Alain Esquerre. The book unveils testimonies from Perlant and other victims, shedding light on the horrific incidents at the school that reportedly operated like a "sect or totalitarian regime."
The 53-year-old emphasized that her father was oblivious to what was happening at the school. "One might think he had all the information," she said, "But I put him on the same level as all parents. The more involved you are, the less you see, the less you understand."
Notably, Bayrou has threatened to take legal action against Mediapart over their claim that he must have been aware of the abuse during the 1990s. When quizzed about the issue in parliament, he unequivocally stated, "I was never informed of this sexual violence."
Facing scrutiny, Bayrou is set to testify in parliament on May 14 as part of an inquiry into violence in schools. As the debates unfold, more secrets from the Notre-Dame de Bétharram may come to light, clearing the shroud of uncertainty surrounding Francois Bayrou.
Related Reads:
- Macron's office denies reports of another snap election in France
- Russia's Easter truce in Ukraine was a 'charm offensive' for Trump, France says
- French court green lights Ukrainian gas firm's compensation claim against Russia
- French PM Bayrou
- Notre-Dame de Bétharram School
- Physical and Sexual Abuse Allegations
- Investigation into School Violence
- Despite the controversy surrounding him, Francois Bayrou, the French Prime Minister, has been adamant that he was not informed about the physical and sexual abuse allegations at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school during his tenure as education minister in the 1990s.
- In a disturbing twist, Francois Bayrou's daughter, Hélène Perlant, has claimed that she was a victim of physical abuse at the same school and even reported severe tinnitus after an encounter with one of the school's priests.
- The general news and crime-and-justice sectors have been buzzing with the political implications of Bayrou's daughter's revelations, as the alleged incidents took place between 1957 and 2004 and hundreds of former pupils have come forward with complaints against the school’s staff.
- Alain Esquerre, another victim of the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school, has written a book titled 'The Silence of Bétharram,' which features testimonies of victims, including Perlant, describing the school as operating like a "sect or totalitarian regime."
