A #MeToo scandal too far in France?

A #MeToo scandal too far in France?

Julien Bayou was suspended amid allegations he had caused a partner to have a breakdown
Julien Bayou was suspended amid allegations he had caused a partner to have a breakdown. Photo: Ludovic MARIN / AFP/File
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

The latest #MeToo scandal in France followed a familiar playbook: allegations of abuse against a senior politician, intense media attention, then a resignation. Except this time, some feminists wonder if the campaign to root out male misconduct has gone too far.

At the centre of the maelstrom is Julien Bayou, the 42-year-old leader of the pro-feminist EELV green party who resigned in late September after being accused by a rival lawmaker from his party of behaviour "that causes mental breakdowns in women".

The full facts remain unclear -- no internal party or police enquiry has been completed -- but Bayou's former partner was said to have suffered from depression after the end of their relationship in November 2021.

That has raised questions about whether he is liable for her mental distress -- no physical or sexual abuse was alleged -- as well as his right to privacy.

Read also

'It's not upbeat': UK's Tory conference reels from U-turn

"It was a very painful break-up with suffering on both sides," Bayou told Le Monde newspaper in an interview on Tuesday in which he denied any criminal behaviour or "psychological violence".

"I am not responsible for the suffering, which is real, of my ex-partner," he said.

PAY ATTENTION: Enjoy reading our stories? Join YEN.com.gh's Telegram channel for more!

He claimed he had been the victim of modern-day McCarthyism, a reference to efforts in the United States of the 1950s to root out communists during which simple accusations of left-wing sympathies were enough to drive many people from their jobs.

"Feminism, yes, obviously, always. McCarthyism is something else," added the former grassroots social activist.

Commenting on fellow EELV lawmaker Sandrine Rousseau, who publicised his break-up and his ex's mental struggles while taking part in a television show, he said: "She went too far. And everyone can appreciate it."

Read also

Poll puts Bulgaria ex-PM Borisov back on top but short of allies

Liberation newspaper also revealed at the weekend that a group of feminists had been investigating Bayou privately, speaking to his former partners with a view to building a case against him.

He likened the experience to being "put under surveillance".

Collateral damage?

The case has sparked an internal crisis in EELV at the same time as its larger left-wing ally, the France Unbowed party, has been embarrassed by news that one of its senior parliamentarians slapped his wife.

Three ministers in President Emmanuel Macron's governments since 2016 have been accused of rape, most recently social cohesion minister Damien Abad, who was sacked in July. All three deny the allegations.

Green party member of parliament Sandrine Rousseau is a media-friendly 'eco-feminist'
Green party member of parliament Sandrine Rousseau is a media-friendly 'eco-feminist'. Photo: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP
Source: AFP

But Bayou has found support among some of the usual backers of the #MeToo movement, which since 2017 has helped highlight the prevalence of sexual abuse by men.

"A break-up, even more so when it is the result of a unilateral decision, is violent by its nature," read an editorial defending Bayou in the left-wing Liberation newspaper last week.

Read also

Veteran conservative faces reformer in Bulgaria polls

Socialist former women's rights minister Laurence Rossignol referred to "dysfunctions" in the way he had been treated, adding: "These things should not be sorted out in television studios."

And well-known feminist writer Caroline Fourest raised her misgivings, saying that women needed to continue to denounce their aggressors, but that journalists and politicians needed to be aware of the risk of allegations being instrumentalised.

"Today there are men and women who are collateral victims of the explosion in speaking out," she told L'Opinion magazine.

Justice denied?

In Bayou's case, his accuser has not spoken publicly or through a lawyer about her allegations, leaving the claims by Rousseau -- an ambitious, internal rival -- as the only evidence against him.

In July, Bayou's former partner approached an internal committee of the EELV party tasked with investigating allegations of sexual misconduct, but then declined to testify.

That meant the enquiry stalled, leaving Bayou unable to give his version of events despite asking to be auditioned on four occasions.

Read also

Bulgarians vote again, anxious about soaring prices

Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said he was "fed up" with efforts by political parties to set up their own investigations into sexual harassment.

"The judicial system is the only place in a democracy where justice can be delivered," he told a committee in parliament on September 27.

But many feminist campaigners disagree.

They point out that the overwhelming majority of rape or sexual assault cases conclude without convictions and that women often decline to lodge police complaints because they view it as pointless.

Many highly regulated professions -- from medics to lawyers -- also have internal disciplinary processes that sanction members outside of the judicial system.

Rousseau said on Sunday that she had no regrets about denouncing her colleague "at a moment when there was a need for transparency."

"I am protecting the struggle of women and I will continue to protect it. I won't give up," she told France 3.

Read also

Brazil votes in Bolsonaro-Lula showdown

Bayou remains a member of parliament and has vowed to clear his name.

New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ find “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.