The Emmaus community of Plessis-Trévise, in Val-de-Marne, celebrated in May Its 70th anniversary, its renovation and its extension, which made it possible to accommodate a dozen companions, in addition to the forty who already lived there. Educational panels were still to be installed on the history of this place, long reserved for women with children, founded by Abbé Pierre a few months after his call in the winter of 1954.
The material will remain in the boxes. In July, the Emmaus movement published the results of an internal investigation, in which seven women accused the priest who died in 2007 of touching their breasts and forcibly kissing them. “I accepted these revelations head on”“Acknowledges Jacques Campargue, a volunteer since the 1990s and former president of the Plessis-Trévise community. When, on September 6, the movement published seventeen new testimonies, one of which recounted forced fellatio – or rape – and another sexual assault on a child aged 8 to 9, “It’s like I’ve been punched in the plexus”, He continues. No elder in the community, including those to whom he was very close, has ever mentioned an inappropriate gesture on the part of the abbot. However, Jacques Campargue maintains “a touching and wonderful memory” from an impromptu tête-à-tête with the latter.
Tessa Akbulut, who has been working in the community as a social worker for three years, is overwhelmed with anger. “I am disgusted that Abbé Pierre has allowed himself such abuses. It is a betrayal: he has abused his power over vulnerable people, while our role here is to redistribute power to them.”. Agnès Jousssellin, a volunteer who became president of the community, compares it to “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” : “A seriously ill man, a sexual predator and a man who has done extraordinary things.”
“Many did not believe it”
Following the revelations in July, images of the abbot were removed from the national headquarters of the movement in Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis). Here some have been removed, “which was very violent for the companions”. At the beginning of September, The president continues, “We took everything away, it became so big”The portrait was then anonymously reinstalled in the auction room, before being removed again.
Some of the colleagues learned of the new revelations during a weekly meeting. “I spoke about rape, about assault. Without going into details, because some have suffered it at his hands., says community co-leader Anne (people mentioned by name wish to remain anonymous). Many did not believe it. It was said that Abbé Pierre saved his life. They were talking about a conspiracy. It is feared that Emmaus will disappear and that they have no future.
You have 63.69% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
