Teenage daughter of the French Prime Minister alleges physical abuse by a priest.
Scandal rocks France as Prime Minister François Bayrou's daughter accuses a priest of physical abuse at Notre-Dame de Bétharram boarding school.
Helen Perlant, Bayrou's eldest daughter, claims that she was brutally beaten by a priest in front of her peers during a summer camp in the early 1980s. Perlant, now 53, alleges that the priest dragged her across the floor, punched and kicked her, leaving her bruised and traumatized.
But this isn't the only shocking revelation from Perlant. She claims that the school was run like a sect or totalitarian regime, silencing students and teachers through psychological pressure. Perlant says she kept quiet about the abuse for 30 years, feeling protective of her father from local political blows. However, she now reveals that her father did not know about her ordeal.
This explosive reveal comes as the parliamentary inquiry into the abuse at Notre-Dame de Bétharram continues to gain traction, with over 200 legal complaints since February last year. Ninety of these complaints concern sexual violence, including an allegation of gang rape by two priests. Despite these shocking claims, only two complaints have led to charges being filed.
The inquiry has brought forth testimony from key figures, such as a gendarmerie detective and a magistrate, whose statements contradict Bayrou's public denial of prior knowledge about the abuse[5]. Perlant's statements further undermine Bayrou's assertions, as she claims he met with a judge investigating the abuse in 1998[3][4].
The scandal has prompted the French Catholic bishops to take action, inviting victims to come forward and signaling institutional efforts to address these issues in thousands of Catholic schools across France[2]. The parliamentary hearings continue, with increasing pressure on Bayrou amid accusations he may have lied about his knowledge of the abuse[5].
The Notre-Dame de Bétharram abuse scandal, involving high-profile figures such as Bayrou and his family, continues to make headlines and challenge the French Catholic Church's handling of such incidents[3][5]. Stay tuned for more updates as the investigation unfolds.
- Following the allegations made by Prime Minister François Bayrou's daughter, Helen Perlant, about physical abuse at Notre-Dame de Bétharram boarding school in the 1980s, discussions surrounding policy-and-legislation and justice for victims have intensified in politics and general news.
- Despite the French Catholic bishops' recent efforts to encourage victims to come forward and address issues in Catholic schools, the Notre-Dame de Bétharram abuse scandal further implicates high-level officials like Bayrou, as Perlant now claims her father was informed about the abuse in 1998.
- With key figures like Perlant and others providing testimony against Bayrou's prior knowledge, the inquiry into the abuse at Notre-Dame de Bétharram is still ongoing, focusing on crime-and-justice and the Church's handling of similar incidents.
- Bayrou's assertions have been undermined in light of Perlant’s recent accusations, and the mounting pressures have led to the intensification of investigations, including legal complaints and parliamentary hearings, under close scrutiny in crime-and-justice and general news.
