Overview

• Hélène Perlant, daughter of Prime Minister François Bayrou, disclosed her experience of physical violence at a 1983 summer camp linked to the Bétharram congregation.
• Her account, published in Paris Match and included in the book 'Le Silence de Bétharram,' describes being assaulted by Father Lartiguet, who has since passed away.
• Perlant stated she remained silent for 30 years, never informing her father, who denies any knowledge of the alleged abuses reported by over 200 former students.
• The scandal has prompted judicial investigations, a parliamentary commission, and calls for systemic reforms in private Catholic education oversight.
• Bayrou, facing scrutiny over potential past inaction, is scheduled to testify before the parliamentary commission on May 14, 2025.