Bogota, Colombia – On February 10, the Grenoble prosecutor’s office issued a global call for victims or witnesses of Jacques Leveugle, a teacher arrested in France in 2024 and accused of sexually abusing at least 89 minors around the world since 1967.
French prosecutor Etienne Manto said at a press conference that one of his nephews reported the sex offender in 2023 after discovering a USB drive containing memoirs, photos and other documents related to the abuse of young people.
The French Embassy in Colombia has urged witnesses to come forward to identify potential victims of abuse in the country, as Lebeglé worked as a teacher in Bogotá on two occasions between 1996 and 2023.
The suspect was living in Morocco when the investigation began, but spent his life moving between Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Algeria, Nigeria, the Philippines, New Caledonia, Colombia, and France. In all of these countries, he reportedly targeted minors while performing educational or social roles.
Authorities say the alleged abuser gave damning details about 89 teenagers aged 13 to 17 from 1967 to 2022 in his ‘autobiography’.
“Jacques Leveugle’s name needs to be known because our goal is to reach victims and encourage them to come forward,” Manteaux said.
He said 40 of the 89 victims had been identified and authorities were working to find the rest.
The prosecution explained, “In some cases, names are not even mentioned, and in some cases, depending on the situation, they hit a wall,” adding, “This witness summons is to ensure that victims whose identities are unknown can come forward.” “Perhaps not all victims are documented in this document.”
Manteaux also said the man, who has been under arrest since 2024 and has never officially graduated as an educator, confessed in his writings to killing two women, his mother and one of his aunts.
An uphill battle to find victims in Colombia
Investigations have shown that Jacques Leveugle lived in and visited Colombia for several years, from 1996 to 2000 and again from 2000 to 2023.
Prosecutors confirmed in an interview with Caracol Radio that the sex offender worked as a French teacher at a shelter for children and youth in the capital, Bogota.
“It’s difficult to reach victims outside France. That’s why we’ve made a special invitation to Colombian victims. We need them and their experiences to understand what this person actually did,” he said during the call. He added that because of the difficulty of contacting witnesses, he decided to take a “traditional” approach.
Authorities are also trying to determine whether Leveugle had collaborators and what his “modus operandi” was to ensure that none of the teens complained or called police about the abuse.
Latin America Report We contacted the Grenoble Prosecutor’s Office and confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing in Colombia. They also committed to briefing the media on important developments as they continue to work to identify more victims internationally.
The French Embassy in Bogotá shared a channel it had set up to find Colombian victims.
Anyone with information or wishing to report an incident can contact us via email (email protected) or call the international hotline at +33 800 005 321.
Featured Image Description: Timeline of Jacques Leveugle’s location.
Main image source: Grenoble Prosecutor’s Office.
This article originally appeared on The Bogotá Post and is republished with permission.
