The managers of L'Arche, a federation which brings together many associations welcoming mentally disabled adults, say they are " upset ". In a letter addressed to all the communities present in 38 countries, Stephan Posner and Stacy Cates Carney reveal the conclusions of an investigation carried out on the founder of L'Arche, Jean Vanier, who died last year at the age of 90 years old. Investigations by " an external and independent body " show that the Canadian has sexually assaulted several women, " generally within the framework of spiritual accompaniment, and some of whom have kept deep wounds ", reports the federation in a press release published this Saturday.
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Six “ sincere and concordant ” testimonies from “ presumed female victims ” made it possible to establish the facts over a period from 1970 to 2005. “ These women, unrelated, relate similar facts, associated with a supposedly spiritual discourse or mystical intended to justify them, "the press release describes. The founder of L'Arche, would, according to testimony gathered by investigators, worn from mystical-religious formulas to achieve its ends: "It is Jesus who loves you through me," he reportedly said to the one of the six alleged victims. “ It is not us, it is Mary and Jesus. You are chosen, you are special, it's a secret, ”he would have said to another. On condition of anonymity, a woman also recounted this hold, which had been kept secret for a long time: “ Spiritual accompaniment turned into sexual touch (…) It lasted three or four years, I was frozen, I was unable to distinguish what was good and what was bad. (…) He told me that it was part of the support. "
Vulnerability and charisma
From the investigation, of which Le Figaro was able to consult the summary, it appears that the alleged victims had expressed their vulnerability to Jean Vanier. Sometimes because of a difficult family past or because she was looking for a father figure. But the charisma and aura of the founder of L'Arche often prevented them from speaking. "I was frozen, I realized that Jean Vanier was adored by hundreds of people, like a living Saint, that he spoke of his support for victims of sexual abuse, it looked like a camouflage and i 'found it difficult to raise the issue ,' says one of the six alleged victims.
Questioning the practices of the founder of L'Arche, another turned to Father Thomas Philippe, without knowing that the same pattern was going to repeat itself: "He told me to come and meet him at 10 pm", said she entrusted to the two authors of the investigation. "I knocked on his door. There was a curtain, and he was sitting on the bed. Before I could start talking about Jean Vanier, it started with him, the same thing as with Jean Vanier ”.
"These actions indicate a psychological and spiritual hold by Jean Vanier on these women "
L'Arche International managersRemaining anonymous, the women interviewed during the survey all described the “ long-term and negative impact ” that these actions may have had on their personal lives. Some were helped but remained deeply marked. Particularly because Jean Vanier never recognized their suffering: " I (he) wrote to say that what he had done to me was intolerable and that it still was today, " said one. of them. "I wanted to make sure he would read this letter, so I gave him in person. He read it; he said to me: "I thought it was good". He didn't tell me anything else . ”
For those responsible for L'Arche, "these actions indicate a psychological and spiritual hold by Jean Vanier on these women and underline his adherence to some of the deviant theories and practices of Father Thomas Philippe". This Dominican priest, who died in 1993, was considered to be the "spiritual father" of Jean Vanier. He had been convicted in the 1950s during a canonical trial for sexual abuse of two women, after which he had been prohibited from teaching and exercising any ministry.
"Yes, he lied to us"
At the time, he too had been accused of falsely mystical speeches to convince his victims to have sex with him, despite his vow of chastity. A canonical investigation carried out in 2015 and based on testimonies received a year earlier by the International Arch will confirm " these sexual acts " and this " psychological and spiritual hold " exerted on several adult women.
Practices that Jean Vanier knew but of which he never revealed the existence. The question had however been asked to him in 2015 and 2016, after the canonical investigation carried out on the father Thomas Philippe, but this last had denied. In reality, " from the 1950s, and contrary to what he was able to tell us several times, Jean Vanier was informed, " summed up Stephan Posner de L'Arche, quoted by the weekly La Vie. " Yes, he lied to us ," he added.
An independent investigation
These are two testimonies addressed to L'Arche in 2016 and 2019 which will push the federation to launch investigations on its founder. Anxious to conduct an independent investigation, she turned to GCPS consulting which started its work in April 2019. This independent organization, based in the United Kingdom, aims to help institutions improve their prevention and reporting systems for abuse. To trace the relationship between Jean Vanier and Thomas Philippe, the federation also called on the historian Antoine Mourges, director of research in contemporary history at the Paul-Valery University in Montpellier III.
In all, five of the six women who testified and around thirty people - former officials and members of L'Arche, experts - were heard. Several hundred documents from the archives of the Dominican Province of France and the personal archives of Jean Vanier helped consolidate this investigation, which was validated by an " Independent Monitoring Committee " composed of two former French senior officials. Once completed, it was turned over to the Independent Church Sexual Abuse Commission (Ciase).
We recognize the courage and the suffering of these women, and of those who, perhaps even today, would remain in silence
L'Arche managers" We are overwhelmed by these discoveries and we unreservedly condemn these actions in total contradiction with the values that Jean Vanier also claimed, incompatible with elementary rules of respect and integrity of people, and contrary to the fundamental principles of our communities " , wrote this Saturday February 22nd Stephan Posner and Stacy Cates Carney. " We recognize the courage and the suffering of these women, and of those who, perhaps even today, would remain in silence, " they added.
Aware of the “ trouble ” and “ pain ” that such revelations can cause, L'Arche reiterated its determination that “ its 154 communities around the world are places of security and growth for all its members, with or without disability ”. The federation is committed to " undertake a thorough and independent evaluation of its current measures to prevent abuse and protect people ". It also " set up a centralized procedure within which" information or reports received are processed by a commission made up partly of people outside L'Arche ".
