Emmaus Switzerland social movement distances itself from Abbé Pierre
Published: Monday, Oct 21st 2024, 08:00
Zurück zu Live Feed
The Swiss branch of the social movement Emmaus has distanced itself from its founder Abbé Pierre. It has also called on its members to do the same. The man who died in 2007 was recently accused of sexual violence by two dozen women.
Images and quotes from Abbé Pierre would also no longer be used in its communication materials "in solidarity with all victims of sexist and sexual violence", the movement announced on Monday.
The Swiss Emmaus Association (SEV) also convened an extraordinary general assembly on October 15 at its premises in Bern to open up a space for dialog and reflection among its members. The SEV had launched a training program for its members. The issue of sexist and sexual violence is an integral part of this program, as is the fight against all forms of discrimination.
The movement welcomes the "approach of truth and transparency" initiated by Emmaus International. It expresses its unreserved support for the victims and acknowledges their courage in bearing witness, the press release continues.
Last summer, incidents of sexual violence against the Catholic priest Abbé Pierre allegedly took place between the 1950s and the 2000s. Several of the women involved were minors at the time of the incidents, a committee commissioned by the Abbé Pierre Foundation and Emmaus to investigate reported at the beginning of September.
The accusations caused a shock wave in France. Abbé Pierre, who died at the age of 94, had been one of the most popular personalities in France for decades.
A week ago, it also became known that the Vatican had been informed of Abbé Pierre's problematic behavior much earlier than previously known, according to information from French archives.
©Keystone/SDA
German 
English 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic