an alert about his behavior had been launched to the management of Paris 8 University

The psychoanalyst, who taught at Paris 8 University for around twenty years, is the target of an investigation for rape and sexual assault. An employee alerted management about her behavior, who did not follow up.

Discomfort at Paris 8 University, after the opening a few weeks ago of an investigation targeting Gérard Miller for rape and sexual assault. The psychoanalyst taught there for around twenty years from 1995 to 2017.

What measures has the university taken to protect its students? This is the question posed by one of the faculty unions on Thursday March 14, when the prosecution received six reports including that of two former students from Paris 8. However, there was at least one alert about his behavior with from management a few years ago, but it was ignored.

Inappropriate remarks in progress

Leslie* worked with Gérard Miller at Paris 8 University. At the time, he headed the psychoanalysis department. The collaboration goes poorly between the two. The employee calls a meeting with management and the faculty’s HR director to denounce dysfunctions. She mentions the inappropriate behavior of Gérard Miller towards his students in the middle of class “introduction to sexuality in Lacan”which he gives every Tuesday: “The memory I have is of having given a file to the management of the university mentioning certain students who said that Gérard Miller could make very inappropriate comments about their sexual practices, if they practiced fellatio . And also to have pointed out that certain young female students accompanied him to the exit of the university after the course”, says this former colleague.

But these alerts went unheeded. “Following this meeting, management made me understand that we were going to act as if it had not existed. They were afraid of ending up in a book or a play by Gérard Miller. For me, it “it’s a big mess”, deplores Leslie, who ends up changing jobs.

“He was untouchable.”

A former manager of Paris 8

at franceinfo

It’s difficult to stand up to Gérard Miller: the psychoanalyst is a columnist on France 2, he writes for newspapers, comedians, he is very media-oriented, very powerful, he has a network. Contacted by telephone, the former president of Paris 8 in question, Danièle Tartakowsky, vaguely remembers a conversation about Gérard Miller, but which did not follow up.

Invitations to his house

The Paris public prosecutor’s office received two reports from two former students of Paris 8, including one for rape. A third student spoke to franceinfo: she also denounced inappropriate behavior. At the time, Marion (first name changed), 21, confided in those around her about this episode. She remembers that in 2003, when the war in Iraq began, “activists came back to class to talk about it”. The young woman then spoke and at the end of the course, Gérard Miller asked her to stay to discuss. “He then suggested that a friend and I come to his house. At first, I didn’t really want to go but my friend insisted,” says Marion.

The two young women go to Gérard Miller’s house, a private mansion at the back of a courtyard, located near the Place de la Nation, in eastern Paris. “A very beautiful home”, recalls Marion. The psychoanalyst takes them down to the basement into his cinema room. “There was a bar with alcohol, he offered us a glass of walnut wine”, specifies the former student. This is followed by hypnosis games practiced by Gérard Miller on the two young women: “A test to see if the arm rose on its own. For me, it didn’t work very well”. He then suggests that they go upstairs and look at his record collection in his room.

The psychoanalyst then asks the two young girls to sit on the bed, “to watch records”, Marion remembers being a little embarrassed. Then, Gérard Miller sat down between the two of them, “he put his arms around our shoulders and his hand slid towards my chest. So, we decided to leave, we didn’t want to stay at his place anymore”, affirms Marion who adds that Gérard Miller tried to dissuade them by declaring in particular: “Stay girls, you can say that you went out with Gérard Miller”. He then offers them a drink outside, in a bar, but the two friends manage to leave. “O“We were still shocked, we were around twenty years old and he was our teacher.” finally confides Marion who, by reading the testimonies in the press of other people in recent weeks, realizes that, “It could have ended badly”. She says she felt embarrassed by this evening for a long time before deciding to speak about it publicly.

“What measures have been taken to protect students and staff?”

At least 67 women denounced in She the actions of Gérard Miller, aged 75 today. Accusations that he disputes but these testimonies are of concern within the University of Paris 8. In an internal email sent a few days ago and which franceinfo was able to consult, the Sud-Éducation 93 union calls on management: “This affair directly concerns our university, where Gérard Miller has spent his entire career. Faced with these extremely shocking revelations, we express our deep concern. If everyone knew, as we have heard in recent weeks, what measures were taken to protect students and staff? What measures can be taken to handle the continuation of this matter?” asks the union.

“To the extent that Gérard Miller spent his entire career at Paris 8, how can we not imagine that the university was a hunting ground for Gérard Miller?explains the one who wrote this letter. We need a word from the presidency of Paris 8, regarding this affair, to potentially collect testimonies and say to what extent speaking and listening will be a priority. We do not know the number of people who may or may not have seen or directly suffered attacks. It’s a bit of a dizzying worry.”adds this teacher.

No report to management

In an email addressed to franceinfo, the management of Paris 8 ensures that it takes these testimonies in the press very seriously: “Taking care of victims and monitoring situations are our priority.” She assures that to date she has not received “no reports of people having suffered sexist and sexual violence from this former teacher”. An operational listening cell is available to members of the university community, referents have also been set up, awareness campaigns are organized, as well as training throughout the year, specifies the establishment.

As for Gérard Miller’s lawyer, Louise Tort, she says she reserves her client’s word for the judicial institution, while respecting the presumption of innocence.

*The first name has been changed