what we know about the sexual assault charges against the former minister

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“I won’t speak again.” Nicolas Hulot announced, Wednesday, November 24, his intention to leave “definitely public life”. A decision taken on the eve of the broadcast, Thursday evening, of a number of “Special Envoy” in which several women accuse him of sexual assault.

>> Watch the replay of the magazine “Special Envoy” in which several women accuse Nicolas Hulot of sexual assault

The former Minister of the Ecological Transition and former television host, for his part, denied these accusations, which he believes “lies”. Here is what we know about this case.

Several women that Nicolas Hulot tried to kiss them

The magazine of France 2 notably collected the testimony of Sylvia, who had just turned 16 when she met Nicolas Hulot, in May 1989. She says she was invited to attend a radio show that he then hosted on France Inter.

Sylvia claims that he then sexually assaulted her in his car. “He wanted me to kiss him, to kiss his cock. He forces me to give him a blowjob, which I don’t really do because I think I’m paralyzed”, she relates. At the time, Sylvia did not file a complaint. Between “a 16 year old girl (and) Nicolas Hulot, who was going to believe me?”, she wonders.

Another woman, Cécile, claims to have been sexually assaulted in 1998, in Moscow, while working at the French Embassy. After helping the team of the show “Ushuaïa” to unlock filming equipment held at customs, the young woman, then 23 years old, was invited to dinner by Nicolas Hulot with other members of the team. of the show. She says that at the end of this evening, in a taxi, Nicolas Hulot “thrown” over her, tried to kiss her and touched her “the breasts” and “the crotch”.

“I struggle. I pushed him away. I punched him in the face. (…) I punched as best I could (…) I think the ‘No’ was very clear”, again testifies Cécile to “Special Envoy”. “I think I made it clear that I did not want to have sex with this gentleman”, adds Cécile.

The magazine also gives the floor to the environmental activist Claire Nouvian, who participated in the filming of an episode of “Ushuaia” in 2008. At the time, she ensures in particular that the entourage of Nicolas Hulot had put it in beware of the facilitator’s behavior towards women. The host did not make inappropriate gestures during the filming of this episode, she recounts. However, she adds that a few years later, after a working meeting, “he still tried” to kiss her.

“There is clearly a dysfunction in his relationship with women.”

Claire Nouvian, environmental activist

to “Special Envoy”

The journalists of “Special Envoy” also gathered the testimony of a former collaborator who claims to have been kissed “by force” by Nicolas Hulot, after a working meeting, in 2001.

In addition, two written testimonies were sent to “Special Envoy”, including that of Maureen Dor. The Belgian host and actress says that in 1989 Nicolas Hulot told her “jumped on” and a “tried to kiss her” against his will. She was then 18 years old. In another letter, a former TF1 employee recounts, on condition of anonymity, having met the host “in the early 1990s”, when she was 23 years old. She also claims to have been sexually assaulted by the television host. All the facts described by these women seem prescribed.

Nicolas Hulot denies and evokes “false” accusations

Even before the broadcast of the number of “Special Envoy”, Nicolas Hulot defended himself Wednesday morning on BFMTV. The former host assured that he had not been informed of the details of the charges, citing the testimony of “four or five women”. On the set of the chain, Nicolas Hulot has not ceased to proclaim his innocence. “I have never seduced by duress”, he assured.

“Neither near nor far have I committed these acts. These claims are purely false. I say this here once and for all, firmly and definitively.”

Nicolas Hulot, November 24, 2021

on BFMTV

“On the pretext that these cases are time-barred, I no longer have the right to an investigation. I will be accused of felony and misdemeanor”, he again lambasted.

The former minister did not wish to answer the questions of the journalists of France 2 in front of the camera. “Justice and truth cannot spring up on a television set”, he said on BFMTV. Nicolas Hulot, however, had a telephone exchange with the presenter of “Special Envoy”, Elise Lucet, on November 9. He then told her that he never had “coerced into anything, anyone”. He added to be “innocent, (…) innocent in a way you can’t even imagine”.

In addition to his withdrawal from public life, Nicolas Hulot also announced Wednesday that he was giving up the presidency of his eponymous foundation. “I am leaving my engagement and I will not speak again, he insisted on BFMTV. I will no longer speak because I no longer recognize myself in this society, nor in its codes. ”

A complaint for “rape” filed in 2008

This is not the first time that Nicolas Hulot has been implicated in a case of sexual violence. In February 2018, the magazine Ebdo, which has since ceased to appear, had revealed the existence of a complaint for “rape” filed in 2008 against the former TV host. This had been closed without follow-up, because the acts denounced, which date back to 1997, were “prescribed”, had then confirmed the prosecution of Saint-Malo.

In its latest issue, “Special Envoy” returns to this complaint. The program reveals that in the letter sent by the prosecutor to Nicolas Hulot to inform him of this classification without follow-up, it is mentioned that “in any event, the facts do not appear to be established “. What does not appear in the letter addressed to the complainant.

At the time, the one who was then Minister of the Ecological Transition also had “taken the lead” by speaking on BFMTV, even before the publication of the revelations of‘Ebdo. Nicolas hulot had then defended himself from any inappropriate behavior and had denounced rumors “ignominious”.

The magazine’s investigation had been the subject of criticism, which pointed to a lack of information on the nature and circumstances of the acts alleged against Nicolas Hulot. The article also did not mention the complainant’s name. Faced with revelations from other media, Pascale Mitterrand, granddaughter of François Mitterrand, had finally confirmed to be the author of the complaint, but “she never wanted to publicize” the case.

Political reactions, especially among environmentalists

These revelations made several members of the political class react, especially among environmentalists. “For me, there is not much doubt, there is a modus operandi which is reproduced from woman to woman, Said Thursday evening on franceinfo Sandrine Rousseau. This report is appalling, especially when you know what [que Nicolas Hulot] said the day before [sur BFMTV], that they were all liars and that he was handsome enough not to have to coerce “, continued the ex-candidate for the primary environmentalist. “I measure the courage it took for these [femmes] to break the law of silence “, for his part wrote on Twitter Julien Bayou, national secretary of EELV.

Within the government, the minister responsible for equality between women and men, Elisabeth Moreno, condemned the remarks “intolerable” by Nicolas Hulot on BFMTV.

“If the facts denounced are prescribed, that does not prevent the prosecution from carrying out an investigation “, for his part recalled the Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, Thursday on LCI.


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