A deputy from her own party denounced the case after having spoken with the alleged victim, who filed a complaint with the Europe Ecology-Los Verdes sexist and sexual violence cell
Julien Bayou, leader of the French environmentalists, presented his resignation on Monday as national secretary of the Europe Ecology-The Greens (EE-LV) party, after being accused by a member of his own party of psychologically harassing his ex-girlfriend. Bayou, who also resigned as president of the environmental group in the National Assembly, will continue to be a deputy of the same despite the scandal.
Bayou, 42, regretted that he was not allowed to defend himself against the accusations. “They accuse me of facts that they do not present to me and that my accusers say are not criminally reprehensible and of which I cannot even defend myself because they refuse to listen to me,” the politician complained in a statement.
The environmentalist deputy, pressured by other members of his party, decided to resign as general secretary of EE-LV, considering that “the situation was unsustainable.” Bayou opined that “the harmful context prevents any discernment, at a time when society is tilting and looking for the balance point for this necessary feminist revolution.”
damaged mental health
Interestingly, it was not Bayou’s ex-girlfriend who publicly denounced the leader of Los Verdes for psychological harassment, but the ecofeminist Sandrine Rousseau, a deputy from her own party, after having spoken with the alleged victim. “There are behaviors that are likely to damage the mental health of women,” Rousseau said on television, without giving more details of what would have happened between them.
Bayou’s ex-partner filed a complaint with the sexist and sexual violence cell of the Europa Ecology-Los Verdes party, but, for now, she has not reported what happened to the Police nor has the French Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation.
The Bayou case is not the only one stirring up the French left these days. Adrien Quatennens, until now little number two of La France Insumisa and Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s dolphin, resigned a few days ago from his post as coordinator of the party, after publicly acknowledging having slapped his wife, of whom he is separating Quatennens, like Bayou, has not relinquished his seat in the National Assembly.
No formal complaint
The French press revealed that the woman had declared what had happened to the police, although she had not filed a formal complaint against Quatennnes. The Lille Prosecutor’s Office has opened an ex officio investigation against the deputy of La Izquierda Insumisa for alleged domestic violence.
Mélenchon, the party leader, has been widely criticized in France for being too lenient with Quatennens. When the scandal broke out, the leader of the populist left criticized “police malice, media voyeurism and social networks” and saluted “the dignity” and “courage” of his number two in making public the details of his divorce.
The leader of La Francia Insumisa accepted criticism of his reaction on Twitter on the case on Saturday, but did not apologize. Mélenchon believes that his dauphin should not give up his post as deputy after having resigned as training coordinator and trusts that, once the divorce is resolved, he can return to the front line of “political combat”.
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