Jonathan Delay was one of the victims of abuse in the Outreau Case and became a central figure in exposing the true horrors of the sexual abuse and torture that occurred in that small French town. Jonathan is one of four sons of Thierry Delay and Myriam Badaoui and was a key witness to the terrible events that transpired. His subsequent work as a published author has shone further light on the matter, as does the Netflix docuseries The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare.
Jonathan Delay Is Now An Author
After being a victim of terrible abuse, Jonathan would become a key witness in the case, and is now an author, having written two books. Jonathan has been vocal about the case and his book Au-delà de l’irréparable – Une vie d’enfant de l’affaire d’Outreau was published on February 24, 2021. It explores what happened and provides the reader with his memories of the terrible events and thoughts on the following case.
Of the four sons of Thierry and Myriam, Jonathan has been the most forthright in his testimony and has spoken with the media about the case on many occasions.
Jonathan has been vocal about the abuse he suffered and the case that followed. He would write a book about what happened and is also reported to have started an institute to support child victims of sexual abuse. Jonathan has also stated that although other people mentioned in the case were acquitted, they were not all innocent. In an article on List23 it is stated: “Not all of the 13 individuals who were found not guilty were innocent, and he emphasized that Legrand Jr’s version of the incident was not entirely true.”
After a 2023 French documentary about the case was aired on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, on France 2, Jonathan criticized the show, saying that it was not an authentic account of everything that occurred. In an interview with Closer, Jonathan said: “I was eleven years old at the time and you still have questions. Even now. I’m 27 now and there are a lot of things I still don’t have an answer for.”
Jonathan Delay | Image via Closer
What happened to Jonathan Delay?
Jonathan Delay was physically and sexually abused by his parents in various forms, over a long period of time. X-rated movies would be playing in the house constantly, making it difficult for Jonathan and his brothers to even sleep.
Jonathan is the third son of Myriam Badaoui and Thierry Delay. He was a survivor of the Outreau case and has been willing to talk about the case, writing a book about the subject and appearing in interviews with various media outlets. His older brothers had been six and eight years old, with his youngest sibling only two years old at the time of the horrific abuse. Jonathan is the only son to appear in the docuseries.
One of his recollections is the terrifying story that his father had a collection of skulls in a cupboard in the family home. In the series, Jonathan tells of the awful conditions that the children were living in, including his father playing pornographic material in the house, and waking up in his bed to his father screaming at them. When finally rehoused, Jonathan would tell his new carers about his father’s sexual abuse, and how his mother would film the incidents.
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