French PM under scrutiny: School abuse allegations intensify

          
• French Prime Minister François Bayrou will be questioned by a parliamentary investigative committee regarding the allegations of violence at the Catholic school Notre-Dame-de-Betharram.
• The opposition accuses Bayrou of deceit, alleging he was aware of the abuses at the school his children attended, where his wife was also a teacher.
• The case involves allegations of physical violence and sexual assaults that have occurred at the school since the 1950s.

The committee, which is responsible for state oversight and preventing violence in educational institutions, has summoned Bayrou due to his past role as Minister of Education from 1993 to 1997. At the core of their interest is the boarding school Notre-Dame-de-Betharram—where three of the Prime Minister's children attended, and his wife worked as a teacher.

The school, previously regarded as prestigious, has come under scrutiny due to allegations of physical and sexual violence. Former students have reported incidents of beatings, molestation, humiliation, and rape since the 1950s. The institution is located near the city of Pau, where Bayrou currently serves as mayor, in addition to his role as Prime Minister. For years, he has also held prominent positions in local government structures.

The scandal began to affect Bayrou after Mediapart, an investigative portal, published a report in February revealing that the Prime Minister was informed of the abuses at the school in 1996 and 1998. Bayrou firmly denies this. "I was never informed of anything, neither violence nor, even more so, sexual violence," he stated on 11 February, in response to questions from MP Paul Vannier.

Although the Prime Minister has repeatedly emphasised that he had no knowledge of the violence, some witness testimonies contradict his version of events. Former gendarme Alain Hontangs claims Bayrou intervened in the case of the school director Father Pierre Silvieta-Carricart when he was suspected of attempted rape in 1998.

Hontangs reported to the media first, and then to the committee, that Judge Christian Mirande, who handled the case, postponed Silvieta-Carricart's hearing. The gendarme heard from him that the Attorney General requested access to the files because Bayrou had intervened.

Judge Mirande confirmed that the prosecutor asked for a delay in the hearing but does not recall if Bayrou was mentioned at that time. However, he added that the Prime Minister visited him at home to discuss the director's case. According to the judge, Bayrou was concerned about his son's situation and did not want to believe the charges against Silvieta-Carricart, with whom he – it is suggested – was acquainted.

In 1998, the clergyman was arrested and charged but was then released on conditional terms. A year later, he went to Rome, to the headquarters of the religious order. Judge Mirande determined that the clergyman may have harmed two more people, but after his departure, the investigation stalled. In 2000, Silvieta-Carricart took his own life.

Conflicting accounts regarding Bayrou's interactions with Judge Mirande have been damaging—initially, he denied any conversation, later admitting that a meeting did occur but was incidental. In April, he stated, "Judges and gendarmes too make mistakes, like everyone."

He emphasised that he had conveyed all the information he had and accused opponents of creating "artificial controversy." In his view, the Betharram school case is being used by political adversaries to attempt to overthrow the government.

In recent weeks, the Prime Minister's daughter, Hélène Bayrou, revealed that she was also a victim of violence at Notre-Dame-de-Betharram, but kept silent about it for 30 years. So far, around 200 reports have been received from former students.

The scandal erupted at a time when the Prime Minister's ratings are exceptionally low, and his government lacks a parliamentary majority. Although Bayrou's political circles—including President Macron's Renaissance Party—do not expect a vote of no confidence, experts agree the situation is damaging to him.

The spokesperson for the former students' association, Alain Esquerre, told "Le Parisien" that he hopes the Prime Minister will tell the full truth before the investigative committee.

I expect the truth in this matter, on behalf of all the victims, who have the right to know what François Bayrou knew or did not know—Esquerre emphasised.

The committee also intends to question other former Ministers of Education, and the final report is to be presented in June.