- Almost a hundred pupils at Notre Dame de Betharram school who have reported physical and sexual violence have joined the list of 26 other complaints. Among them is the case of a monitor that is still working in the center: The 12-year-old has been subjected to tests showing that he was raped.
Close to Zuberoa, to the Catholic School of Lestelle-Betharram in Bearn, many children from Euskal Herria have gone to study, and there are also some among them who have denounced. In ARGIA, we published about a hundred testimonies that report the physical and verbal violence suffered at school, sexual violence and rape. These cases range from the 1960s to almost the year 2000 and target a dozen priests, lay cellars and older students with responsibilities, the majority dead.
A further 26 complaints were lodged at the Pau Court in early July and, as reported in Kazeta, in some of these cases the situation is very harsh and, at the same time, they are hopeful, among other evidence: The victim's mother, 12, sent a message to the doctor informing her that her son was suffering from anal pain and the night of aggression the child fled Betharram. The facts are not prescribed and the aggressor, who has been attacked, is working in the same center.
The spokesman for the Betharram Victims Association, Alain Esquer, said in Kazeta that what they are seeing is worrying: “In no case have we reached the border.” Since 31 January, 102 complaints have been lodged at the Pau Hearing for money laundering. Esquerra has encouraged victims to feel reluctant about shame, fear or whatever to report, contacting the group: biktimdebetharram@gmail.com.