a non-commissioned officer in the military office of the former Minister of the Armed Forces sentenced to 2 years in prison for sexual harassment

The complainant was 21 years old at the time of the incident and suffered months of sexual harassment from her superior, who was 15 years older than her.

A non-commissioned officer in the military office of the former Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, was sentenced to 2 years in prison on Thursday, June 20, for sexual harassment of a young soldier aged 21 at the time of the events, learned from franceinfo from the plaintiff’s lawyer. The sentence, handed down at the Paris judicial court, was also accompanied by a ban on exercising a military profession for 3 years, a sentence of ineligibility of 3 years, with an entry in the criminal record.

“An excellent decision, in line with what it must and should have been, before or after the #Metoo of the armies”reacted Maître Élodie Maumont, the plaintiff’s lawyer, who affirms that her client is “very satisfied”.

For Maître Aurore Ventura, lawyer for the non-commissioned officer, “he is responsible for his actions, he committed an act which should be judged and condemned”but through him, “we wanted to make an example and attract the attention of military institutions to say ‘react because this is no longer happening’”. “The ban on military exercise deeply affects him since the military institution was his life”added the lawyer.

The events took place over several months from September 2021, at the military office of Florence Parly, at the Hôtel de Brienne, the minister’s residence. The complainant, 21 years old at the time of the events, worked with the non-commissioned officer, her partner and hierarchical superior, 15 years her senior.

She described a daily life punctuated by comments “crude, degrading and humiliating, sexualizing his every move every day.” He repeatedly emphasized how much he wanted “fuck her”, following her to the locker rooms and toilets. He even warned her about possible alcohol consumption, specifying that he couldn’t wait for her to be drunk so that he could take advantage of her. Words or behaviors sometimes made in front of witnesses, but without producing support or a reaction.

When the complainant broke down after three months and called the crisis center, she was placed on sick leave. The non-commissioned officer at the origin of these behaviors is suspended for 15 days, placed in telework and transferred to the Center for Advanced Military Studies, but the young woman is asked to sign a paper to commit to dropping all charges against him , which she refuses. She was then transferred to Brest against her will. Following these events, she attempted suicide twice. She filed the complaint in June 2022.