Overview

• Hélène Perlant, daughter of Prime Minister François Bayrou, testified publicly about being assaulted at age 14 during a Bétharram summer camp in the 1980s.
• Perlant confirmed that her father met Judge Christian Mirande in 1998 regarding the Bétharram abuse investigation, contradicting his earlier denials.
• Bayrou later admitted to the meeting, describing it as a chance encounter with informal discussions, but his evolving narrative has raised questions about his credibility.
• The parliamentary commission has summoned Bayrou to testify under oath on May 14 as part of the ongoing inquiry into the abuse scandal and his role.
• Experts highlight cultural factors, including deference to authority, that contributed to decades of silence among victims of systemic abuse at Bétharram.