Sawt Falasteen - French PM under growing pressure over Catholic school abuse claims

The embattled prime minister has in recent days faced accusations from the opposition that he knew of widespread physical and sexual abuse at a Catholic boarding school to which he sent several of his children.

Prosecutors have been investigating around 100 complaints of alleged violence, sexual assault and rape committed at the Notre-Dame de Betharram school in southwestern France over several decades.

Bayrou, who served as the country's education minister between 1993 and 1997, has repeatedly denied any wrong-doing.

On Thursday, a former teacher at the boarding school told French investigative website Mediapart that Bayrou, 73, and his wife, who taught religious studies there, had ignored her warnings about the "systemic violence" against the boarders.

Francoise Gullung taught mathematics at the school between 1994 and 1996, Mediapart said.

Bayrou insisted both he and his wife were innocent.

"There is nothing more shameful than targeting someone's family in order to get to them politically," he told journalists.

"Those who whip up these scandals are not interested in the victims, they are not interested in justice," he said.

"What interests them is whether they could stir up a scandal that would have political repercussions for the government and the prime minister."

Bayrou, a veteran centrist named by President Emmanuel Macron in December to end months of political crisis after inconclusive snap polls, does not have a majority in a divided parliament and depends on the support of the Socialists.

He has survived multiple no-confidence motions, including over his budget, partially due to support from the Socialists. Losing their backing over the school sexual abuse scandal would be a major blow.

Education Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Friday it was "hard to understand how we didn't react sooner" to the claims of abuse.

"The state failed to step up in this case," she told broadcaster BFMTV/RMC.

But she accused the hard left of seeking to take advantage of the uproar.

H.Jarrar--SF-PST