Published: 2025-02-12
French Prime Minister François Bayrou is under fire over allegations of sexual abuse at a Catholic school in Béarn, where his children studied and his wife taught.
Despite Bayrou's repeated denials of prior knowledge, witnesses and reports suggest he was aware of the accusations as early as the 1990s.
The school, Notre-Dame-de-Bétharram, has been under investigation for a year, with over 100 complaints of abuse spanning decades.
Critics, including Socialist MPs, accuse Bayrou of failing to address the victims and demand clarity.
Bayrou has announced a defamation lawsuit, maintaining his innocence and calling the claims baseless.
The controversy raises questions about accountability and transparency in leadership.
Related articles in French:

Violences sexuelles à Bétharram : Bayrou récuse des «polémiques artificielles», les socialistes demandent que «toute la lumière soit faite»
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François Bayrou affirme n'avoir «jamais été informé» des agressions sexuelles au collège-lycée Bétharram
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François Bayrou accusé d’avoir ignoré des agressions sexuelles sur mineurs au pensionnat Notre-Dame de Bétharram dans les années 1990
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François Bayrou dit n’avoir « jamais été informé » des agressions sexuelles au collège-lycée Bétharram
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Agressions sexuelles au collège-lycée Bétharram : la gauche met sous pression François Bayrou, qui dénonce des « polémiques artificielles »
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Affaire Notre-Dame-de-Bétharram : la pression s’intensifie sur François Bayrou
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Violences au collège-lycée Bétharram : Bayrou dit n’avoir «jamais été informé» des dérives, «Mediapart» publie des documents qui démentent cette version
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