Father Pierre's legacy in question after sexual assault accusations

The organisations Emmaus France, Emmaus International, and the Abbot Pierre Foundation (fr. Fondation Abbe Pierre) reported that the well-known clergyman, who passed away in 2007, was accused of sexual assaults on at least seven women.

In a statement published on the website of the Abbot Pierre Foundation, it was announced that in 2023, a report emerged about a woman who was a victim of such an assault by the clergyman. At that time, the three organisations turned to the experts of the Egae group to determine whether other such cases could have occurred.

These actions "resulted in obtaining accounts from seven women who indicated behaviours that might resemble sexual aggression or sexual harassment, committed by Father Pierre between the late 1970s and 2005" - the statement said. It was added that one of these women was underage at that time.

The established facts concern employees and volunteers of some organisations, as well as young women belonging to Father Pierre's personal circle. As explained in the report published on the Emmaus International website, two individuals described inappropriate personal behaviour that made them uncomfortable. One described a sexual proposition, another - repeated comments with sexual connotations, and several others - attempts at physical contact without their consent.

The French Catholic Church stated on Wednesday that it "received these reports with pain" and wants to assure the victims of its "profound compassion and shame that such actions could have been committed by a clergyman".

Father Pierre (Abbe Pierre) was the founder of the Emmaus movement, which is known in many countries and aims to support the poorest, the homeless, and refugees. He was born in 1912 in Lyon to a wealthy family as Henri Groues and entered the Capuchin order in 1931. In 1949, he founded the Emmaus Association and established the first shelter for the poor in Neuilly-Plaisance. He passed away in 2007.