The revelations about Norm Chomsky’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein are shocking. As a significant figure and scholar in sociology particularly cultural and feminist sociology, his influence is profound.

As Zeeshan Aleem writes in the article below “Chomsky, 97, is one of the most influential, if not the most influential, left-wing intellectuals of the past century”.

He continues: “In scenarios where someone’s private behavior is in direct contradiction with their public mission, then that is a compelling reason for rigorous scrutiny and criticism of private behavior.”

I agree and I have thought a lot about this in connection with the sexual abuse scandal of another hero – Abbé Pierre, founder of Emmaus International 80 years ago. As an adult and child, I met him several times and he was my parents’ guiding light in compassion and helping the vulnerable with the motto ‘serve first those who suffer the most’. However, since the 1950s he has been sexually abusing minors and adults – using his power to take advantage of vulnerable people . Something that was well-known in French Catholic circles. Who protected him and covered up the affair in various ways, as they have with many other sex offenders within the church. This meant that he all his life continued to sexually defend women until his death 2006.

I understand Abbé Pierre was protected by influential figures within the Emmaus organisation into the 1990s. However, Emmaus International has handled the recent revelations with remarkable compassion and integrity in the past few years.

Zeeshan Aleem end his opinion piece: “To guard against the kind of reverence that has made these revelations difficult for some Chomsky supporters to process, I suggest a riff on an anarchist slogan that I’ve heard on occasion: No gods, no masters, no heroes.”

I’m however still grappling with the loss of a hero and guiding light who founded and inspired a global movement while simultaneously engaging in criminal and abhorrent private behaviour.