In July 2022, the General Assembly of the Paris Foreign Missions (MEP) mandated its leadership to launch an audit into all the sexual violence committed by some of its members between 1950 and 2024 and, more generally, into the ways in which such violence is dealt with and prevented within the MEP.
MEP has selected the independent firm GCPS Consulting to carry out this audit. In May 2023, the MEP issued an initial call for testimonials in a press release. Since then, the audit has progressed through extensive archival research, visits to each of the MEP mission countries and numerous interviews in France and abroad.
In addition to analyzing situations of sexual violence and their treatment, GCPS Consulting is also assessing the state of protection within the MEP. The final audit report, due in December 2024, will contain recommendations on awareness-raising, training and support for MEP members to minimize the risk of sexual violence within the Society. Thus, the Code of Ethics and the MEP protection and prevention measures will be updated. Delivery of the final report has been postponed by several months. This was to enable the consultants to carry out exhaustive field visits, and to give more time to those who need to contact GCPS Consulting.
We would like to take this opportunity to inform you that Father Bertrand de Bourran has been appointed General Delegate for Protection. His role will be to head up the sexual abuse unit within the MEP. He will be assisted by a deputy, Father Nicolas Lefébure, currently Secretary General of the MEP. This unit will call on specialist skills from outside the MEP.
GCPS Consulting is known for ensuring that the voices of victims and/or witnesses are heard in the audit process and that issues relating to sexual violence are fully identified and brought to the attention of MEP leadership so that the necessary action can be taken. To this end, a new call for testimonies in local languages is being circulated in the countries where we work.
If you are aware of any allegations of sexual abuse in connection with MEP, the priority is to report the matter to the judicial authorities in the country concerned. You can also use the three communication channels below, with the GCPS communication channel being the preferred channel for audit work:
- Contact GCPS Consulting at mep_review@gcps.consulting
- Contact the “Commission Reconnaissance Réparation” of the Catholic Church at accueil@crr.contact / + 33 9 73 88 25 71
- Contact the MEP hotline à sos-protection@missionsetrangeres.com
Media Contact: Me Matthias Pujos, media_mep@spartans-avocats.com
