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Independent Report Uncovers Decades of Coercive Control at Montmartre Benedictine Order

The commission urges reparations alongside formal Church recognition of the abuses.

Overview

  • Mandated by the congregation in 2024, the 142-page inquiry describes a sect-like system led by former superior Mère Marie-Agnès.
  • Investigators recorded 1,489 incidents spanning 1969 to the early 2010s, with the drift described as intensifying after 2004.
  • Accounts detail surveillance of parlor visits and mail, forced feeding and imposed medication, plus verbal and physical maltreatment, with no sexual violence reported.
  • The report cites financial exploitation aimed at well-off recruits, recording €857,356 taken and noting lavish spending and real estate deals by a leadership trio.
  • The panel outlines 58 recommendations including indemnities and refunds, as the Paris diocese admits failures of vigilance and the community remains fragile despite post-2014 reforms.