A damning 142-page report published on Wednesday reveals that nuns at the Benedictine Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre in Paris endured four decades of systematic psychological and physical abuse under the iron rule of their mother superior. The independent commission, led by former high-ranking official Hervé Giaume, documented nearly 1,500 instances of abuse including forced feeding to the point of vomiting, surveillance, humiliation, and what investigators described as a sect-like environment of total control.
Mother Marie-Agnes, who led the congregation from 1969 until shortly before her death in 2016, established what the report characterizes as a system of psychological domination marked by narcissistic perverse tendencies. The investigation, which interviewed 86 current nuns and 28 former members, found that the mother superior and her allies systematically spied on the religious women, encouraged denunciation among them, and employed blackmail as a tool of control across all priories and sanctuaries.
The physical abuse documented in the report includes forced and unbalanced meals, with some nuns being force-fed until they vomited. The commission also uncovered evidence of what it termed medicinal submission, where drugs were administered to those who resisted the regime. Nuns were cut off from their families, subjected to constant surveillance including monitoring of visiting rooms and reading of personal correspondence, and forced into excessive work schedules designed to prevent any moment of reflection.
Psychological manipulation pervaded daily life in the community, with the report detailing systematic infantilization, guilt-tripping, humiliation, and devaluation of the religious women. The mother superior reportedly identified vulnerabilities in individual nuns and exploited these weaknesses through targeted harassment and manipulation. Notably, the investigation found no evidence of sexual abuse, distinguishing this case from other recent scandals involving French religious orders.
The congregation, which is associated with the iconic Sacré-Coeur Basilica where some sisters can be heard singing, has publicly asked for forgiveness and committed to implementing all 58 recommendations outlined in the report. Since the abusive regime ended, approximately 40 sisters have left the order, leaving 86 nuns across nine priories today. Church authorities noted that while the community has begun recovering and returned to normal functioning, it remains fragile.
The French Catholic Church commissioned the independent investigation in 2024 following internal reviews that began in 2021. A general chapter scheduled for October 2026 will address the implementation of reforms in coordination with ecclesiastical authorities. This scandal adds to a growing list of abuse allegations that have shaken the Catholic Church in France in recent years, prompting renewed calls for transparency and accountability within religious institutions.
Investigators emphasized that the report should serve as a roadmap for institutional reform, with the congregation pledging to study, prioritize and implement all recommendations. The case highlights the particular dangers of isolated religious communities where unchecked authority can lead to systematic abuse hidden from outside scrutiny for decades.