A park near the Seine River in Paris is among the places that bear Abbé Pierre's name, something that will soon be changed. In the city of Nancy, they are planning to remove a memorial plaque about Abbé Pierre's time as a member of parliament from the region. In his birthplace Lyon, they are debating what to do with the fact that he is portrayed in a mural with well-known people from the city.
Abbé Pierre, whose real name was Henri Groues, founded the Emmaus movement and dedicated his life to helping the homeless. The allegations against him, which should have been known within the organization, include rape and sexual contact with children. The abuse is said to have taken place from the 1950s until two years before his death in 2007, at the age of 94.
Among other things, France 24 writes that he was expelled from Canada in 1963 after assaulting several women in Montreal during a visit to the country. The police are said to have investigated the incidents, but no charges were brought against Abbé Pierre. He seems to have been protected by high-ranking individuals within the Emmaus movement and the church.
After the investigation, commissioned by the organization, 17 different women have accused the deceased priest of sexual harassment and rape. One of them was only nine years old at the time of the alleged abuse.
