France: 40 ans d'”emprise” dans une congrégation de soeurs catholiques
Gavage, chantage, abus financiers, psychologiques et spirituels: un rapport détaille un système d'”emprise” marqué par une “dérive sectaire” qui a régné pendant 40 ans au sein d’une congrégation de soeurs catholiques à Paris.Un rapport de 142 pages publié par une commission indépendante, mandatée en 2024, décrit le système mis en place chez les Bénédictines du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre (BSCM) par l’ancienne supérieure, mère Marie-Agnès, à l'”autorité excessive et inappropriée” avec “une dérive manifeste dans tous les domaines”.Les soeurs de cette congrégation catholique avaient déjà reconnu en 2023 qu’un “système d’emprise” avait existé pendant plusieurs décennies, et demandé que la lumière soit faite sur le passé.Après avoir rencontré les 86 sœurs actuellement membres des BSCM et 28 ayant quitté la communauté, la commission fait état de 1.489 faits, allant de l’abus d’autorité au culte de la personnalité en passant par le pouvoir financier et la maltraitance physique ou psychologique.Ce système a perduré de 1969, date de l’élection de soeur Marie-Agnès en tant que prieure générale, jusqu’au début des années 2010, avec une dérive qui “s’est accentuée après 2004”.Pour les jeunes victimes poussées à s’engager “très vite” après leur recrutement s’instaure ce qu’une soeur décrit comme “un régime policier”.Car la responsable, à la personnalité “de type pervers narcissique”, a une capacité à repérer les vulnérabilité des soeurs qu’elle harcèle ensuite et manipule, souligne la commission présidée par l’ancien général Hervé Giaume.Coupées de leur famille, les religieuses doivent accepter que leurs parloirs soient écoutés et leur courrier lu. “L’espionnage, l’incitation à la délation et le chantage sont présents dans tous les prieurés et sanctuaires”, ajoute le rapport qui parle de “contexte clairement marqué par une dérive sectaire”.Le rapport détaille une “suractivité” imposée aux soeurs pour “empêcher toute prise de recul”, et une série de “violences verbales, parfois physiques” ainsi qu’une maltraitance psychologique: “infantilisation, culpabilisation, humiliation, dévalorisation”.”Je ne pouvais pas me mettre à genoux (…) et elles m’ont demandé de récurer l’entièreté des lieux à la brosse à dent et à l’éponge”, témoigne une soeur. Le rapport évoque même une “soumission médicamenteuse pour les plus récalcitrantes”.S’il n’y a pas ici de violences sexuelles, la maltraitance passe aussi par la nourriture avec des “repas forcés et déséquilibrés” et des “gavages allant jusqu’aux vomissements”. Car “il fallait (…) ressembler même physiquement” à la supérieure, a expliqué une soeur à la commission.- Héritages captés -Sur le plan financier, le rapport note que “le recrutement des jeunes filles visait manifestement les familles aisées” et que “faire +entrer de l’argent+ constituait une préoccupation constante” de mère Marie-Agnès.La congrégation “prenait en main les biens des sœurs dès le postulat”, avec parfois des “comptes bancaires et livrets vidés, héritages captés”. Un total de 857.356 euros a ainsi été prélevé sur les comptes de cinq soeurs et de la congrégation, selon le rapport. Mère Marie-Agnès, décédée en 2016, était secondée dans sa tache par deux acolytes (des soeurs40 nommées X et Y dans le rapport).Ce trio menait un “train de vie fastueux”: repas gastronomiques, vacances sur la Côte d’Azur… ainsi que des investissements immobiliers dans deux appartements et une maison près de Vernon (Nord de Paris). Le rapport note que le trio a habité “souvent en civil” dans cette maison entre 2008 et 2012, avant de la revendre avec une moins-value de 150.000 euros.La commission, qui émet 58 préconisations, appelle à plusieurs mesures de réparation (indemnisations et remboursements). Elle prône une reconnaissance officielle par l’Eglise des dérives “qu’elle n’a pas vues, ou pas voulu voir”, notamment au niveau du diocèse de Paris dont Jean-Marie Lustiger était archevêque pendant une partie des faits.Dans un communiqué le diocèse de Paris “reconnaît aujourd’hui que pendant de nombreuses années, il n’a pas exercé, en ses responsables, son propre devoir de vigilance”.La commission souligne qu’avec des “changements importants” engagés depuis 2014, la congrégation “a retrouvé aujourd’hui un fonctionnement normal mais encore fragile”.Car il est “essentiel de restaurer la confiance”, ajoute le texte.
Syrian activist Sarah Mardini acquitted of migrant trafficking in Greece
A Greek court on Thursday acquitted Syrian competitive swimmer and activist Sarah Mardini, whose rescue of her sister inspired a hit Netflix film, and 23 others of migrant trafficking in a decision applauded by top rights groups.The verdict came almost a month after the start of their trial at a court on Lesbos, ending a legal ordeal for the activists since 2018.They had been charged in the Greek island with “forming a criminal organisation” and “illegally facilitating the entry of third-country nationals into Greece”.”All defendants are acquitted of the charges” because their aim was “not to commit criminal acts but to provide humanitarian aid”, presiding judge Vassilis Papathanassiou told the court.Prosecutor Dimitris Smyrnis had earlier recommended their acquittal, emphasising that “no independent basis establishing the criminal liability of the defendants has been demonstrated”.Mardini, a 30-year-old Syrian who sought refuge in Germany in 2015, was present at the court along with her Irish-German co-defendant Sean Binder, AFP said.”Saving human lives is not a crime,” an emotional Mardini said after the verdict. “We never did anything illegal because if helping people is a crime, then we are all criminals.” – ‘Unacceptable’ -The 2022 Netflix film “The Swimmers” is inspired by the story of Mardini and her sister Yusra, who was one of 10 athletes who competed in the Rio Olympics for a Refugee Team.Their family made the perilous journey across the Aegean Sea in 2015, and the sisters saved other people from drowning along the way.”These charges should never have been brought to trial in the first place,” Amnesty International said after the acquittal.”The EU must also take note of today’s decision and introduce stronger safeguards against the criminalisation of humanitarian assistance under EU law, no one should be punished for trying to help,” it said.Human Rights Watch echoed Amnesty.”Two dozen people were subjected to a seven-year legal ordeal on baseless charges for saving lives. These abusive prosecutions have virtually shut down lifesaving work even as people continue to drown in the Aegean,” it said.This is the second time Greece has brought criminal charges against the volunteers.In 2023, they were acquitted in another case involving offences related to their humanitarian work, including “espionage”.In 2018, Mardini was part of a group of volunteer activists with the NGO ERCI trying to help migrants reach the island of Lesbos from Turkey.She was arrested at the time and spent three months in prison in Greece. Her lawyer, Zaharias Kesses, said it was “unacceptable” for such high-profile cases to drag on for so long.The aim, he argued, “was to criminalise humanitarian aid and eliminate humanitarian organisations. Before this case, thousands of volunteers were on Lesbos, whereas afterwards they were reduced to a few dozen.”
Twenty-six charged in latest basketball gambling scandal
Twenty-six people have been charged with fixing US college and Chinese professional basketball games in an alleged transnational criminal conspiracy, federal prosecutors said Thursday.The indictment, filed in Philadelphia, includes bribery charges, and relates to nearly 30 games in which conspirators allegedly placed huge bets on the scores of contests after paying players to underperform.”We allege an extensive international criminal conspiracy of… players, alumni and professional bettors who fixed games across the country and poisoned the American spirit of competition for monetary gain,” said federal prosecutor David Metcalf.”This was a massive scheme. It enveloped the world of college basketball,” he told a press conference.It is the latest scandal to rock the world of US sports, after two sprawling federal investigations resulted in the arrest of an NBA coach and player in October.The indictment unveiled Thursday says an illegal sports gambling network originated in China in or about September 2022.Former NBA Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney — who is named but not charged in the latest indictment — is alleged to have been recruited by conspirators to influence the outcomes of games in the Chinese Basketball Association league, where he was playing for the Jiangsu Dragons.A package containing nearly $200,000 in cash was allegedly left in Blakeney’s storage unit in Florida at the end of the CBA 2022-23 season.”Because it proved profitable, they decided to take their operation Stateside to the world of NCAA Division I men’s basketball,” said Metcalf, referring to the hugely popular US college league.Defendants allegedly then offered more than 39 US college players bribes of up to $30,000 per game, and made wagers totaling millions of dollars.More than a dozen of the defendants have played college basketball within the past three years.Former NBA player Blakeney is “charged elsewhere,” according to the indictment.If convicted on the bribery charges, defendants could face up to five years in prison.Sports wagering in most US states was illegal until 2018, but leagues have since rushed to get in on the multi-billion dollar bonanza of legalized betting.The NBA last year said it is reviewing league policies to ensure players know gambling’s “dire risks”.
Niger faces dilemma over uranium shipment stuck at airportThu, 15 Jan 2026 20:03:10 GMT
A huge uranium shipment that left northern Niger in late November has been stuck for weeks at Niamey airport.The cargo has created a diplomatic headache for the junta that seized power in 2023 and has since turned away from traditional ally France and closer to Russia. Here is what we know about the shipment, estimated at …
Niger faces dilemma over uranium shipment stuck at airportThu, 15 Jan 2026 20:03:10 GMT Read More »
US says Iran halts executions as Gulf allies pull Trump back from strike
The United States on Thursday said Iran halted 800 executions of protesters under pressure from President Donald Trump, after Gulf allies appeared to pull him back from military action over Tehran’s deadly crackdown on demonstrations.Iran was shaken over the last week by some of the biggest anti-government protests in the history of the Islamic republic, although the demonstrations appear to have diminished over the last few days in the face of repression and a week-long internet blackout.While Washington has stepped back from military action, the White House said Thursday that “all options remain on the table for the president”. “The president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. She said Trump had warned Tehran of “grave consequences” if the killing of demonstrators continued.The Treasury also announced new sanctions targeting Iranian officials on Thursday, with Tehran already under crippling restrictions over its nuclear programme that contributed to the economic woes that sparked protests.The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO said on Wednesday that Iranian security forces had killed at least 3,428 protesters, warning that the final toll would be far higher.Trump had said Wednesday he had received assurances from “very important sources on the other side” that executions would not go ahead, as Gulf allies scrambled to pull him back from military action.With the belligerent rhetoric on all sides appearing to tone down for now, a senior Saudi official told AFP on Thursday that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led efforts to talk Trump out of an attack, fearing “grave blowbacks in the region”.The Gulf trio “led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good intention”, the official said on condition of anonymity.A second Gulf official confirmed the talks, adding that a message was also conveyed to Iran that attacking US regional facilities would “have consequences”.Asked about a New York Times report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Trump against strikes, Leavitt said: “Look, it’s true that the president spoke with (him), but I would never give details about their conversation without… the express approval by the president himself.”Iranian authorities have lashed out at “rioters” who they claim were backed by Israel and the US, vowing fast-track justice that activists fear will translate into a spree of executions.- ‘No hanging today’ -In telephone talks on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan that Iran would defend itself “against any foreign threat”, according to a statement.On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia informed Iran it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used to attack the country, two sources close to the kingdom’s government told AFP.The Swiss foreign ministry, which represents US interests in Iran, said Iranian security chief Ali Larijani spoke by phone on Wednesday to senior Swiss diplomat Gabriel Luechinger.Bern offered to “contribute to the de-escalation of the current situation”, the ministry said.Later on Thursday the country summoned Iran’s ambassador to voice its “greatest concern” over the crackdown on nationwide protests, a foreign ministry official said.The developments came hours ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Iran later on Thursday, which was requested by the US.Up until Wednesday, the United States was threatening military action against Iran should it carry out the death penalty against people arrested over the protests.Attention had focused on protester Erfan Soltani, 26, in prison in Karaj outside Tehran since his arrest, and who rights groups said was due to be executed on Wednesday.On Thursday, the Iranian judiciary said Soltani has “not been sentenced to death” and was facing charges of propaganda against Iran’s Islamic system.If he is convicted, “the punishment, according to the law, will be imprisonment”.In an interview with US network Fox News, Araghchi said there would be “no hanging today or tomorrow”.Commenting on Truth Social, Trump said: “This is good news. Hopefully, it will continue!”- ‘Significant cost’ -Araghchi said the Iranian government was “in full control” and reported an atmosphere of calm after what he called three days of “terrorist operation”.Despite the internet shutdown, new videos from the height of the protests, with locations verified by AFP, showed bodies lined up in the Kahrizak morgue south of Tehran, as distraught relatives searched for loved ones.Another video circulating on social media, said to be from Wednesday, showed people gathered for the funeral of a labourer killed during the protests chanting “Death to Khamenei” and “this year Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown”.AFP was able to verify the location of the video as Abdanan in the western province of Ilam, but not its date.Meanwhile, the Canadian government confirmed on Thursday that one of its citizens was killed in the protest.The unnamed Canadian “died at the hands of the Iranian authorities”, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said.
Thieves steal Pokemon cards in armed robbery at US store
Several valuable Pokemon cards were stolen in a gunpoint robbery at a New York store, US police said Thursday, with about $100,000 worth of merchandise reportedly taken. Images shared by the shop show a hooded man dressed in all black pointing what appears to be a pistol at someone sitting with their hands up. US media said some of the individual cards taken were worth as much as $5,500. Pokemon cards bearing “little monsters” attract children as well as adult superfans and collectors, with billions printed and some selling for millions of dollars.Earlier this month, around $300,000 worth of Pokemon cards were stolen in another armed robbery in California. New York police said they received reports late Wednesday that three men had entered The Poke Court shop in Manhattan and “displayed a firearm and made threats to individuals.””They then removed multiple merchandise and cash and a phone,” a spokesman said.No arrests have been made.Courtney Chin, owner of The Poke Court, said in a video posted on Instagram that all customers and staff were safe. She spoke in front of display cases that had been smashed.The store listed several cards as stolen, each stored in protective plastic cases called “slabs” that verify their authenticity. The stolen cards include those of famous Pokemon characters like Pikachu, the large yellow mouse with a lightning bolt-shaped tail. Several people were in the Manhattan store to attend a community event when the robbery unfolded. “This hobby should be a safe and welcoming place and while cardboard can be replaced, no one should ever have to go through this,” the shop wrote on Instagram.Characters from Pokemon games have been spun off into films, animated series and a plethora of merchandise.The franchise racked up $12 billion in licensing revenue in 2024, according to specialist publication License Global — more than toy giant Mattel.