Society. Bétharram Affair: Bayrou Describes a "Difficult Episode," Victims Point to Inaction

The case of sexual and physical violence in Bétharram has led to "nothing" despite François Bayrou's "promises," the victims' group accused on Sunday in response to the Prime Minister, who described it as a "difficult" episode for him and "disgusting" for his family.

"It is especially disgusting that, despite the commitments made, nothing has been done," said Alain Esquerre, spokesperson for the collective and author of a book on the scandal at Notre-Dame-de-Bétharram, a Catholic school in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

François Bayrou has been accused, notably by the left, of having lied about his knowledge of the violence and sexual assaults perpetrated over several decades in the middle school where several of his children were educated and where his wife taught catechism.

"A political tribunal"

The head of government was questioned on May 14 by a parliamentary commission of inquiry, whose two rapporteurs pointed out a "failure to act" on his part when he was Minister of National Education in the 1990s.

A "political tribunal," criticized François Bayrou on Saturday on the C à vous program. "It was a really tough fight. And for my family, it was disgusting," he said. "It's the only difficult thing I experienced during these nine months" at Matignon, he assured regarding the Bétharram scandal, while a vote of confidence on Monday in the National Assembly should seal his downfall.

In response to the affair, the government announced that it would roll out a plan to combat violence in private establishments under contract and would strengthen controls. But the victims, who met with the Prime Minister in February, believe that these promises have remained "dead letters."

"No compensation fund created"

The group deplores the fact that a compensation fund has "never been created" and that the "victims' council" mentioned during François Bayrou's parliamentary hearing has "not been implemented at all." As for the government's plan, the group believes that it "still needs to be evaluated to measure its effectiveness."

"While (François Bayrou) insists on the suffering experienced by his family, the group recalls that the real emergency remains that of the victims, still waiting for recognition, reparation and psychological support," we can read in the press release.

By the end of July, 217 criminal complaints had been recorded by the Bétharram victims' collective, around one hundred of which concerned sexual offences.