Notre-Dame de Bétharram Case: Three Men in Custody for Violence and Sexual Assault

Three men, born in 1931, 1955, and 1965, have been taken into custody for “aggravated rape, aggravated sexual assault, and/or aggravated violence,” announced the Pau prosecutor’s office on Wednesday, February 19. The alleged offenses took place between 1957 and 2004 at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school in Lestelle-Bétharram (Pyrénées-Atlantiques).

In a statement, the public prosecutor of Pau, Rodolphe Jarry, specified that these arrests had been scheduled as early as January 31, 2025, when the investigative file was handed over to the prosecutor’s office for legal analysis by the military research division.

“A Huge Relief” for Victims

Alain Esquerre, spokesperson for the victims’ collective of Notre-Dame de Bétharram, welcomed “the culmination of 15 months of work and decades of waiting.” He described these arrests as “a huge relief.” According to him, the next step will be the appointment of an investigating judge, while the collective has already received 134 complaints, with more continuing to arrive.

These developments come just days after a meeting between François Bayrou and representatives of the victims at Pau City Hall. The Prime Minister, who is also the city’s mayor, has previously held several political positions, including Minister of National Education (1993-1997) and President of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques General Council (1992-2001), during which time he might have been aware of the abuses committed at Bétharram.

François Bayrou Defends Himself

Questioned about the case, François Bayrou admitted on Saturday, February 15, that he had been aware of physical violence but claimed he was never informed of sexual abuse. This statement contrasts with his remarks a few days earlier in the National Assembly, where he declared that he had “never been informed of any violence, let alone sexual violence.”

On Tuesday, February 18, the Prime Minister reiterated before parliament that he had “never intervened, either directly or indirectly” in this case of abuse at the school.

The investigation, launched in February 2024 after 112 complaints were filed regarding violence between the 1960s and 2011, is ongoing.