France's Bayrou faces inquiry over school abuse allegations

French Prime Minister François Bayrou is set to appear before the parliamentary inquiry committee on 14 May, as it delves into cases of violence within educational institutions. The opposition accuses the politician of deceit by asserting his ignorance of the abuses at the Catholic school Notre-Dame-de-Betharram, attended by his children.

Bayrou firmly rejects the accusations, describing them as "artificial polemics" regarding this matter.

The left-wing opposition alleges that Bayrou, during his tenure as education minister and as a member of local authorities, was aware of the issues at the school Notre-Dame-de-Betharram.

The Prime Minister, who has also been the mayor of Pau since 2014, denies having any knowledge of these abuses. Bayrou's associates informed the AFP agency that the Prime Minister will appear before the committee.

The parliamentary committee intends to hear from three former education ministers and the current head of the department, Élisabeth Borne.

On Thursday, the committee heard former gendarme Alain Hontangs, who confirmed his previous media statements under oath. He testified that in 1998, when a rape complaint against one of the clergy was filed, judge Christian Mirande, who was overseeing the case, informed him of a "intervention" by Bayrou with the Attorney General.

The investigative portal Mediapart has reported that the Prime Minister was informed about the abuses in 1996 and 1998, which Bayrou denies.

So far, approximately 200 former pupils of the school Notre-Dame-de-Betharram have lodged complaints concerning physical, psychological, and sexual violence. The incidents they recount occurred in decades before 2010, with the earliest dating back to the 1950s.

In the 1990s, several complaints and warnings arose, but it is the current reports that have brought the issue to prominence.