The president of the FNOGEC (National Federation of Catholic Education Bodies), “Pierre-Vincent Giraud,” announced the decision to close the Notre-Dame de Bétharram Catholic school located in southwestern France, against the backdrop of scandals that have plagued the institution related to the mistreatment of students.
This decision comes after the revelation of incidents of violence and assaults that the school witnessed, including the incident in which “Hélène Bayrou,” the daughter of former French Prime Minister “François Bayrou,” was beaten during her time there.
At the beginning of July 2025, a French parliamentary report addressed the issue of covering up sexual assaults against school students, and the report indicated “inaction” by “Bayrou” at that time, when he held the positions of Minister of Education and President of the General Council of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in which the school is located. The report also clarified that his wife worked as a theology teacher at the institution, and that “Bayrou” had reported being subjected to violence.
In a statement to “RTL” radio, “Giraud” confirmed that “Bétharram will be closed,” considering that the events that occurred “tarnish the reputation of Catholic education,” noting that the closure will take place during the coming summer.
It is noteworthy that information had spread in 2024 about crimes dating back to the 1950s, which prompted the concerned law enforcement agencies to open investigations after receiving hundreds of complaints from former victims. The investigations include incidents suspected to have occurred during the 1970s and 1990s.
According to the information available, more than 200 former students have filed complaints alleging that they were mistreated for years, and confirmed that physical or sexual assaults were attributed to 14 priests who worked at the school.
