French PM Under Growing Pressure Over Catholic School Abuse Claims

Francois Bayrou sent some of his children to the Notre-Dame de Betharram school, and his wife taught religious studies there (Credit: AFP)

France's prime minister was under increasing pressure Friday after a former teacher at a Catholic school claimed Francois Bayrou was aware of claims of sexual abuse there in the 1990s but did not act on them.

Bayrou has in recent days faced accusations from the opposition that as education minister in the mid-1990s he knew of widespread physical and sexual abuse at the Catholic boarding school to which he sent some of his children.