The Bayou case continues to embarrass EELV. Latest episode: an interview with theformer national secretary of Europe Ecology-The Greens, who believes in The worldTuesday, October 4, that his colleague Sandrine Rousseau “went too far”. Julien Bayou has resigned from his post as party leader since the Green MP revealed in the media that he was the subject of accusations of psychological violence from an ex-companion. The party’s sexual and gender-based violence (VSS) cell had been seized by this former girlfriend in early July. Since then, this internal commission has come under fire from critics. Franceinfo explains why.
Because the confidentiality of the internal investigation was not respected
EELV was the first party to mset up this type of internal unit, following the Baupin affair. Several officials and elected members of the party had accused the deputy, in 2016, of inappropriate gestures comparable to harassment or sexual assault. Since then, this investigation and sanction unit on harassment and sexual and gender-based violence has been “responsible for carrying out investigations, either in the event of a complaint or during an internal report”. She can also grab herself.
This is what happened in the Bayou case. L’body seized itself after receiving an email from the ex-companion of the ecologist, from whom he separated in November 2021. The information quickly leaked since the person concerned confirmed this referral in an article from Figaro early July, arguing on a “painful and difficult breakup”. The members of the cell must nevertheless compel themselves “to strict confidentiality on the cases handled”as written in the protocol.
Sandrine Rousseau was also aware of it since she opened up on the set of “C à vous” on France 5, on September 19. Whereas several feminist groups were surprised that no public decision had been made by EELV concerning Julien Bayou, the elected official revealed that she had spoken at her home with the ex-companion, saying that the latter had “attempted suicide a few weeks later” this interview.
However, the work undertaken by the cell was not finished and it had not, at this stage, “considered that there was reason to suspend Julien Bayou on a precautionary basis”. The latter recalls in The world having asked four times to be heard by the cell. His ex-girlfriend, who has not been auditioned either, officially asked to be on Monday. She said to herself “constrained and forced by the media tempo that has been imposed on him lately in defiance of his mental health”.
This type of leak would not be a first. Franceinfo was able to collect the testimony of a victim who also denounces flaws. According to her, one of the members of the cell contacted her alleged attacker while the report is supposed to remain secret.
Because a member of a feminist collective investigating Julien Bayou is also part of the cell
Release revealed that Julien Bayou had also been the subject, for three years, of one “under surveillance” by a group of feminist activists, who sign their emails “The alpha wolves”. They accuse him of his conduct “runner” and investigate his relationships with women or question his former companions. One of them, interviewed by the newspaper, nevertheless believes that“these are just banal stories between consenting adults”.
Still according to the daily, one of the women members of the VSS cell, which is currently investigating the case of Julien Bayou within the party, is also part of this informal group that targeted the private life of the deputy of Paris.
In The worldJulien Bayou claims to have “hesitated to file a handrail” in 2019. “I had to ask a female activist to stop investigating me and above all to peddle rumors and accusations without evidence”, he says. The day after the publication of the article by ReleasedEELV officials assured that all the people in the cell who had a link with Julien Bayou had “deported from the file”.
Because she is suspected of being instrumentalized for political purposes
If Sandrine Rousseau assured on France 3 do not have “no problem with him [Julien Bayou] be seated on the benches of the Assembly” for the return to parliament and that it doesn’t have it “never called to resign”some see his approach as a political stunt, before the party congress in December during which Julien Bayou was to leave the place at the head of the party. The latter, who first stepped back before resigning from his duties as national secretary, denounced in The world, “an instrumentalization with a view to settling scores”.
According Release, EELV’s cell and feminism commission include activists who have become closer to Sandrine Rousseau since her return to the party in 2020 and who campaigned alongside her for the legislative elections. A trend that has gained momentum among environmentalists. “When I criticize the functioning of the cell, which does not offer the opportunity to defend themselves to the presumed culprits, I am told ‘be careful, it could turn against you’entrusts an elected EELV to the newspaper. Can you imagine how much they won the cultural fight to come to the point of not being able to say that we disagree?
The management of EELV has however reaffirmed its support for this unit, “who does a difficult job and has been able to treat, and still treats, all the cases that are reported to him. Without his existence, many people would have had no other solutions”.