Former Lasallian Students' Collective Denounces Decades of Systemic Violence, Demands Justice

France - Ekhbary News Agency

Former Lasallian Students' Collective Denounces Decades of Systemic Violence, Demands Justice

An unprecedented movement is emerging in France: a collective of former students from Lasallian Catholic establishments, affiliated with the "Brothers of the Christian Schools," is breaking the silence to denounce decades of physical violence, humiliations, and sexual assaults. These revelations, covering the period from 1955 to 1985, highlight acts that are often legally time-barred, but whose scars remain deep for the victims, now aged between 50 and 70. Faced with these allegations, the congregation asserts that it takes the situation "very seriously" and has already compensated 70 individuals, totaling over 2.4 million euros, while also calling for broader recognition of its responsibility.

The collective, whose members testify to "rapes, beatings, humiliations," and other forms of abuse, was formed to demand accountability for these practices deemed "systemic." These acts of violence were allegedly perpetrated by both religious figures and lay teachers within approximately twenty institutions across French territory. The echo of their voices resonates as French society and the Catholic Church confront a collective awakening to past abuses, often hidden or minimized.

Philippe Auzenet, 73, a co-founder of the collective, courageously shared his chilling testimony. He recounts being "threatened with death, assaulted, tied up, hung by his feet" between the ages of 7 and 9 at the Lasallian school in Rouen, with attackers wielding "butcher knives" and threatening to "gouge out his eyes." Traumatic experiences that, in his own words, "ruined his life." Another co-founder, preferring to remain anonymous, also described "violence and molestation" suffered at the Saint-Augustin school/college in Saint-Germain-en-Laye between 1969 and 1978. These poignant accounts illustrate the scale and brutality of the abuses endured by many children within these educational institutions.

The Congregation of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, founded by Jean-Baptiste de La Salle and currently managing 150 private contract schools in France, responded through its lawyer, Matthias Pujos. In a statement, it affirmed being "conscious (...) of the responsibility incumbent upon it." Since 2014, a listening cell has been established to collect reports and accompany victims. To date, 72 complaints have been recorded, leading to the compensation of 70 individuals for a total amount of 2,434,882 euros, in accordance with the recommendations of the Church's Recognition and Reparation Commission (CRR).

Despite these efforts, the collective believes the response is insufficient. It insists on the necessity of explicit recognition of the "systemic" nature of the violence and demands the creation of a substantial reparation fund of 100 million euros. This demand is part of a broader movement seeking justice and reparation for victims of abuse within the Church, following the revelations of the Ciase report (Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church) in 2021, which estimated the number of minor victims since 1950 at 330,000.

Most of the facts denounced by the former Lasallian collective are time-barred, meaning they can no longer be subject to criminal prosecution. However, the congregation has still made three judicial reports since 2022 to the public prosecutors of Besançon, Évry-Courcouronnes, and Reims, concerning acts where the suspects are still alive. This step, although late for some victims, indicates a willingness to cooperate with justice in cases where it remains possible.

The institutions concerned, some of which no longer belong to the congregation today, were located in various French cities such as Quimper, Rouen, Mende, Langogne (Lozère), Rueil-Malmaison, Issy-les-Moulineaux (Hauts-de-Seine), Grenoble, Igny (Essonne), Nantes, or Paris. The geographical dispersion of cases underscores the extent of the problem and the need for a comprehensive approach to address it.

The collective is now launching a national appeal for testimonies, hoping to encourage other victims to come forward. This initiative aims not only to obtain full and explicit recognition from the congregation but also to contribute to a process of collective healing. The battle for truth and justice is far from over, and these former students are determined not to let these acts of violence be forgotten, working to ensure that such tragedies never recur in educational institutions.

Ekhbary News Agency