French Parliamentary Commission Investigates Decades of School Violence

The commission's inquiry, sparked by the Bétharram scandal, will examine systemic failures in public and private schools and include high-profile testimonies.

A parliamentary commission has been established to investigate systemic violence in French schools, following the revelations of abuse at Notre-Dame de Bétharram and other institutions.
The commission will examine both public and private schools, focusing on how such abuses went undetected and unaddressed for decades.
Key figures, including former Minister of Education François Bayrou, are set to be questioned about their roles and responsibilities in oversight failures.
Victims' testimonies will form the foundation of the inquiry, starting with Alain Esquerre, founder of the Bétharram victims' collective, on March 20.
The investigation has already prompted new reports of abuse from former students of other Catholic schools, highlighting broader systemic issues.