French prime minister to testify the child abuse scandal

The French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou faces one of the most sensitive moments of his five months in office on Wednesday when he answered questions from a parliamentary committee, which examines claims for sexual abuse at a Catholic school.

Bayrou was accused before the opposition that, as Minister of Education, he knew about many decades in the Notre-Dame de Betharram School in southwestern France for many decades.

The 73-year-old politician, who acted as a French Minister of Education between 1993 and 1997, denied any misconduct and driven what he describes as “destruction” against him.

He said his appearance in front of the committee would give him the opportunity to prove that all of this was wrong. “

Center Bayrou, the sixth prime minister of President Emmanuel Macron's mandate, was appointed by the government manager last December. He has received the discouraging task to get France out of a political crisis.

So far, Bayrou has managed to survive a non-confidence in a shared parliament, but the Betharam affair has damaged its credibility and its approval rate has decreased in the past few weeks.

According to a survey that was published last week, Bayrous Popularity -rating has dropped among Macron, with only 27 percent of the French agree.

Analysts said that Bayrou could continue to be under pressure depending on its performance during the hearing, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. (1,500 GMT).

“The school scandal in Betharram may not be sufficient to put down Bayrou, but encourage its parliamentary enemies and supposed friends to draw the government for other reasons,” said the Eurasia group.

“There are reasons for dissatisfaction in abundance,” added political risk advice on the budget crisis in France.

– 'I have confidence in him' – –

Macron threw his support behind the competitive prime minister.

“We talked a lot about it and I know that I have confidence in him,” he said on Tuesday evening to TF1 Television and referred to the Betharram affair.

“I know that he will answer all the questions that will be asked.”

Macron also said that he was open to a Bayrou proposal to prevent a referendum for a plan to reduce France debt.

The two Mit-Reportleurs of the Commission, Paul Vannier and violet Spillbout, will know about what he knew about alleged violence, sexual assault and rape, knew at school near the southwestern city of Pau, in which Bayrou was committed since 2014.

Some of his children attended school and his wife taught religious studies there.

Bayrous statements have been refuted by a number of people, including his own daughter.

In April, Bayrous accused the clergyman who led the school of systemic abuse, and said a priest beat her in the summer camp when she was 14 years old.

Helene Perlant, who is now 53 years old and uses her mother's name, said that her father knew nothing about the incident.

Only a few in Bayrous's team believe that he is put down over the scandal.

But “if he lies in front of the parliament, he is politically dead,” said a supporter of Macron and asked not to be mentioned.

Bayrou survived several non-confidence movements due to the support of the socialists. But a socialist legislator who did not want to be named believed that Bayrou was “politically ended”.

Greens have accused him of the “mone” and called for his resignation.

A Bayrou employee emphasized that the prime minister was not the subject of the investigation.

The investigation focuses on “the methods used by the state to monitor and prevent violence in schools”.

After hearing witnesses, the two rapporteurs plan to deliver their conclusions in June.

In total, 200 legal complaints have been submitted since February last year, in which priests and employees were accused of physical or sexual abuse from 1957 to 2004.

Some of the boarders said she had drawn experience for life and told how some priests visited boys at night.

“The state failed and did not protect the children of Betharram,” said Alain Esquerre, who is a collective of the school -survivors.

Bur-Ares-As/Jh/JJ