Widespread Abuse in French Catholic Schools Uncovered as Victims Speak Out

Former students from multiple institutions detail decades of systemic physical and sexual violence, prompting calls for official recognition and reform.

Survivors from Notre-Dame-de-Bétharram and other Catholic schools have formed collectives to share testimonies of systemic abuse spanning decades.
Alain Esquerre, founder of the Bétharram victims' collective, has described the revelations as exposing a widespread pattern of violence in Catholic education.
Allegations include physical abuse, sexual violence, and neglect by both clergy and lay staff, with some cases dating back to the 1970s and earlier.
Victims are seeking official recognition, reparations, and access to therapeutic support, with a meeting scheduled with Education Minister Élisabeth Borne on March 20.
The revelations have prompted calls for an independent entity to document abuses and for stricter oversight of private educational institutions in France.