“He never touched me, but the harassment lasted several years”, assures Sonia Souid, who plans to file a complaint

After having delivered chilling testimonies, with an uncovered face, in the press, Sonia Souid returns this Thursday to franceinfo on her accusations of harassment against Noël Le Graët, resigned former president of the French Football Federation. If at the material time that she denounces the players’ agent had not “didn’t even ask the question” to lodge a complaint, because she “started in his career”now she plans to do so. “Since the month of September and the article of SoFootI realized that other women were concerned and victims of the very inappropriate behavior of Mr. Le Graët”is moved the agent.

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Sonia Souid explains that she was particularly “bruised” by the reaction and the line of defense of Noël Le Graët at the release of the revelations on his behavior. “He challenged anyone to find the slightest trace, he said he could not write SMS, that he had never harassed anyone in his life”, she annoys on franceinfo. The agent also regrets the absence of an apology from the former boss of French football: “Has he had the slightest thought for the victims? No, he denies it altogether,” she protests. Sonia Souid says she was also “flabbergasted” by the “recent statements by Noël Le Graët and his two lawyers”.

A call to free the voice of women

She refuses to “let it pass”in particular the remarks made by Me Thierry Marembert, in the program C à vous, on France 5. The lawyer accused Sonia Souid on Tuesday of “lie about certain points” And “to interpret a certain number of messages“. Sonia Souid therefore defends herself this Thursday on franceinfo, refuting any lie. “What would I have had to gain other than risk losing my career, my reputation?”, she is indignant. She assures that “the only thing that [l’a] lively and motivated” to give his testimony was to be able to look in a mirror. “I testified openly for my daughter and my little sister”, she explains. The agent calls “all the victims to speak out” : “We have to say stop, we can’t let this go any longer”she says.

Sonia Souid returns in detail to her accusations against Noël Le Graët, referring in particular to a dinner that took place when she was 29 years old. The president of the FFF then invited her to his Parisian home, where Brigitte Henriques, in charge of women’s football at the FFF and who ultimately will never be present, is also invited. If Sonia Souid has “found it strange” this invitation, she explains that she accepted and did not “not suspicious”because “He told me that he does this regularly and that it was for a matter of confidentiality”. “I arrive at the Parisian home, I see in his living room two glasses of champagne already served”, she remembers. She claims not to have “touched by a glass of champagne”while Noël Le Graët “He, on the other hand, drinks and that must have disinhibited him”.

“He takes off his suit jacket, he unbuttons the collar of his shirt, he is more and more slumped on his sofa, he spreads his legs and caresses his lower abdomen”

Sonia Souid

at franceinfo

Of the “unusual gestures during a professional meeting“, describes the agent. She maintains that at that time she is “in panic“, especially since Noël Le Graët “says very clearly: ‘Anyway we don’t need Brigitte Henriques, if we’re both close enough, I’ll manage to materialize the ideas'”according to Sonia Souid.

An audio message as proof

She remembers having “the blood that [lui] go to your head, be out of breath”. She feels “humiliated, hurt deep inside [son] to face its president who [lui] lack of respect”. “I am faced with a situation that makes me extremely uncomfortable,” says the agent, who explains that she was able to leave the home. She claims not to have been sexually assaulted: “He never touched me, he never held me down, but the harassment lasted for several years”she says.

She recounts the calls “regular” of Noël Le Graët, inviting him to dinner. She then shares a voice message left on her phone in 2017, by the boss of the FFF: “Sonia, I’m on my third bottle, third, and I’m waiting for you for the fourth”, can be heard in this audio. This message has no “not surprised” Sonia, because he was “the fruit of our conversations quite often when I picked up the phone”. The agent is, however, at that time “upset” because she is there “a tangible trace” that she can now “to listen to [son] entourage so that he can realize what[elle] lives”. “Is this the best time to intellectually associate with someone between the third and fourth bottle?”asks Sonia Souid.