French cities and schools drop charity icon's name amid abuse allegations

Cities and villages across France are scrambling to rid themselves of plaques while schools are moving to change their names following a raft of posthumous sexual abuse accusations against a charity icon who was showered with accolades in his lifetime.

Born Henri Groues, French clergyman Abbe Pierre left behind a legacy as a friend to the poverty-stricken and homeless when he died aged 94 in 2007.

"All of France wants its Abbe Pierre Street," right-wing newspaper Figaro wrote after his death.

But since July, multiple allegations that he committed sexual abuse have shattered his saintly image and left the two charities he founded desperately trying to dissociate themselves from him.

The Abbe Pierre Foundation has said it will change its name and the Emmaus charity has announced the permanent closure of a memorial to the man who was a fervent defender of the right to housing.

Now local officials nationwide are seeking to cleanse streets, schools, and parks of his name too.

Around 150 streets or other places carry the late humanitarian's name, according to an AFP tally. But that could soon drop.

Paris has said it wished to "exceptionally" rename gardens in his honour near the Seine River in the southeast of the city.

The northeastern city of Nancy said Monday that it was taking down a commemorative plaque to the man who was a parliament member in the region from 1945 to 1951.

"The words of the victims, women and children must be heard, respected and supported as a priority," the town hall said.

In Lyon, where he was born, officials are to debate what to do about his presence in a fresco of famous people from the southeastern city painted on the side of a private building.

The eastern city of Besancon, meanwhile, is to rename a homeless shelter "very soon".

 'Heartbreaking' 

In July, a consulting firm hired by Abbe Pierre's charities revealed that seven women had made allegations of sexual assault or harassment by the cleric between 1970 and 2005.

One of the women who came forward was underage at the time of the events.

Last week, it said at least 17 more people had made similar accusations of abuse dating from the 1950s into the 2000s, mostly in France but also in the United States, Morocco and Switzerland.

One woman said she endured "forcible kisses" and "contact" when she was eight to nine years old in the 1970s.

Several smaller communities are also taking action, with mayors seeking to renaming squares in the towns of Grande-Synthe and Talant, respectively in the north and east of France.

In the Brittany village of Hede-Bazouges, a primary school is shedding Abbe Pierre's name.

"I had already spoken to the diocese in late August. But now after the latest revelations, there's no hesitation," headmistress Florina Loisel said.

In the nearby village of Tinteniac, a high school was doing the same.

"We didn't even have the shadow of a doubt," said its headmaster Raphael Gouablin.

The mayor of the village of Cysoing in the north of the country, Benjamin Dumortier, wants to rename a community hall.

"It's heartbreaking, but we're thinking about the victims," he said.

Making amends 

The Egae consultancy that uncovered the allegations of abuse says that, beyond the 24 testimonies it collected, several other people had come forward anonymously.

Emmaus is keeping a hotline open for any other potential victims.

"We are expecting more testimonies. The help line will remain active until at least the end of the year," said Emmaus's director Adrien Chaboche.

He said the charity was also thinking about how to make amends to people who have come forward to report abuse.

In 2021, an independent report on paedophilia in the Catholic Church in France found alleged abuse of at least 216,000 minors since the 1950s.

It has since set up a body called INIRR to study the cases of victims, in view of handing out compensation of up to 60,000 euros ($66,000) to each.

That body has said it will look at the cases against Abbe Pierre, but only four of the 24 people who have come forward so far were underage at the time of the alleged abuse.

And they may not want money.

INIRR head Marie Derain de Vaucresson said 13 of the 708 people approved to receive damages so far in the paedophilia cases had not wanted to accept its "financial component".