The National Assembly strengthens its internal sanctions against harassment

The office of the Assembly specified in the code of ethics of the deputies that the moral or sexual harassment constitutes “a violation of the duty of exemplarity”. A member who fails to do so will risk a disciplinary sanction ranging from a call to order to temporary exclusion.

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Sanctions by the National Assembly in the event of moral or sexual harassment by a deputy, in particular of an employee, will be facilitated, the institution decided on the evening of Monday February 21, after a report from its ethics officer rejecting any “inertia”.

The office of the Assembly, its highest collegiate body, specified in the code of ethics for deputies that moral or sexual harassment constitutes “a violation of the duty to set an example”. Thus for such facts, a member will incur a disciplinary sanction ranging from a call to order to temporary exclusion.

This is to attest “of the will of the institution” of “do not tolerate such behavior”, advocated ethics officer Christophe Pallez in his annual report, published on Tuesday. It is he who will be able to seize the office of the Assembly, who will pronounce the sanction.

An independent anti-harassment unit was set up in February 2020, intended for employees of MPs and political groups, Assembly staff and MPs themselves. Between February and December 2021, 24 people seized this cell, 18 women and six men. Among them, 21 wanted their file to be handled by a team of experts made up of lawyers, jurists and psychologists, details the ethics officer. The deputy of Gironde ex-LREM Benoit Simian, already returned to correctional for “harassment” against his wifeis also targeted by an investigation by the Bordeaux prosecutor’s office for “harassment” of a collaborator.


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