Overview

• Hélène Perlant disclosed she was physically abused by a clergyman at Notre-Dame-de-Bétharram school near Lourdes nearly 40 years ago, including being beaten and kicked in the abdomen.
• Perlant described the school as operating like a 'totalitarian regime,' using psychological pressure and enforced silence to suppress abuse victims.
• Approximately 200 former students have filed complaints alleging physical and sexual abuse at the school, though many cases face legal hurdles due to statutes of limitations.
• François Bayrou, Prime Minister and former Education Minister, denies knowledge of the abuse, stating his daughter never informed him of her experiences.
• Bayrou is scheduled to testify under oath before a parliamentary investigation on May 14, as scrutiny grows over his alleged inaction during his tenure as Education Minister.