French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is set to face one of the most delicate moments of his five months in office as he responds to questions from a parliamentary committee investigating claims of sexual abuse at a Catholic school. Bayrou has faced accusations from the opposition that as education minister in the mid-1990s, he knew of widespread physical and sexual abuse(Child abuse) at the Notre-Dame de Betharram school in southwestern France over many decades.
Bayrou, 73, has denied any wrongdoing and denounced what he calls a campaign of “destruction” against him. “My appearance before the committee will give me an opportunity to prove that all this was false,” he said on Saturday.
The scandal has damaged Bayrou’s credibility, and his approval rating has been steadily declining in recent weeks. According to a poll published on Friday, his popularity rating dropped below that of President Emmanuel Macron for the first time, with only 27% of French people approving of his work.
Political analysts believe Bayrou could face further pressure depending on his performance during the hearing. “The Betharram school scandal may not be sufficient in itself to bring down Bayrou but could embolden his parliamentary enemies, and supposed friends, to pull the plug on the government for other reasons,” said the Eurasia Group. “Reasons for dissatisfaction abound,” the political risk consultancy added, pointing to France’s budgetary crisis.
Bayrou’s statements have been contradicted by several people, including his own daughter. His eldest daughter, Helen Perlant, accused the clergy running the school of systemic abuse, including while her father was a local official. “If he lies before parliament, he’s dead,” said a senior supporter of Macron.
The inquiry focuses on “the methods used by the state to monitor and prevent violence in schools.” After hearing witnesses, victims, and former ministers, the two rapporteurs plan to deliver their conclusions in late June. In total, 200 legal complaints have been filed since February last year accusing priests and staff at Betharram of physical or sexual abuse from 1957 to 2004.
“The state has failed and has not protected the children of Betharram,” said Alain Esquerre, who represents a collective of school survivors.