Eric Coquerel case: An investigation into sexual assault and harassment opened by the Paris prosecutor’s office – 20 Minutes

Eric Coquerel, LFI deputy recently elected chairman of the Assembly’s Finance Committee, denies the accusations. This did not prevent the Paris prosecutor’s office from opening an investigation on Wednesday for sexual harassment and assault against him. The rebellious is targeted by several testimonies. Left-wing activist Sophie Tissier had filed a complaint in early July which will therefore be examined by the investigation. This former figure of “yellow vests” aged 43, denounces in his complaint facts “may be similar to a sexual assault” dating from August 23, 2014 in Grenoble, which would have been committed by Eric Coquerel, which he disputes . The maximum period being six years to lodge a complaint in the event of an offence, the facts could be prescribed. The investigations were entrusted to the Brigade for the repression of delinquency against persons (BRDP). Contempt, text messages, inappropriate gestures… The investigation concerns, for the moment, only the complaint of Sophie Tissier, according to two sources close to the file . The activist had explained to AFP that she had been “despised” by the party La France insoumise (LFI) “for years” and reported the “terrible consequences” on her life and her career as an activist since the “actions” of Eric Coquerel, during an evening in 2014. The former “yellow vest” had denounced, on BFMTV, “inappropriate gestures, wandering hands” during an evening organized by the party in 2014, evoking “a salacious look , sticky”, “a clumsy flirt” and “outrageous, offensive, harassing” behavior on the part of the deputy. According to the activist, Eric Coquerel also sent her text messages offering to take her to her hotel. She also claimed to have made a report to LFI’s Sexual Violence Monitoring Committee (CVSS). of the Finance Committee of the National Assembly. His accusations were “timely relayed[s] without restraint, investigation or checks of any kind” and “made it possible to” get people talking about something else “”, the senior LFI official reacted on BFMTV on July 3, attacking in particular a journalist from the channel. Eric Coquerel has received repeated support from Jean-Luc Mélenchon. He “is not guilty of anything at all” and “is the subject of a rumor and a political operation”, denounced the leader of the Insoumis. The opening of this investigation comes as LFI is the subject of criticism over its internal management of accusations of sexual violence.