French PM strikes defiant note on child abuse scandal

PARIS: French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou struck a defiant code successful parliament connected Wednesday arsenic helium insisted during a tense proceeding that helium lone knew of claims of intersexual maltreatment astatine a Catholic schoolhouse from media reports.The 73-year-old person faced 1 of the astir delicate moments of his 5 months successful bureau arsenic helium responded to questions from a committee investigating claims of intersexual maltreatment astatine a Catholic school.Bayrou has faced absorption claims that arsenic acquisition curate betwixt 1993 and 1997 helium knew of wide carnal and intersexual maltreatment astatine the Notre-Dame de Betharram school successful southwestern France implicit galore decades.But connected Wednesday helium stuck by his erstwhile statements and said that during his clip arsenic acquisition curate helium had "not received immoderate accusation different than what was reported successful the press"."I had thing to hide," helium said.He signalled his tendency to cooperate, saying the enquiry into what helium called the "MeToo for children" was yet taking place."For me, this proceeding is precise important. It is precise important for the boys and girls who person been victims of violence, peculiarly intersexual violence, for decades," helium added.But tensions were connected afloat show arsenic the 2 co-rapporteurs of the commission, Paul Vannier and Violette Spillebout, questioned Bayrou astir what helium knew astir alleged violence, intersexual battle and rape committed astatine the schoolhouse adjacent the southwestern municipality of Pau wherever Bayrou has been politician since 2014.

During the proceeding Bayrou accused Vannier, a lawmaker with the hard-left France Unbowed enactment (LFI), of seeking to "fuel a scandal".The French premier curate besides said helium did not consciousness that the committee was "completely objective".Several of B...