In open letter published on Tuesday July 5 on social networks, the journalist and ephemeral legislative candidate for La France insoumise (LFI) Taha Bouhafs criticized the party for not having allowed him to defend himself against accusations of “sexual abuse” of which it is the subject. While the latter led to his withdrawal from his candidacy two months ago, he claims to LFI “fair and equitable procedure” and denounces the opacity of the movement on the subject.
“Rebellious” candidate in the 14e constituency of the Rhône, Mr. Bouhafs had withdrawn from the race for deputy on May 10, considering that he had been the victim of ” racism ” and D’“unprecedented attacks” emanating from the entire political class towards him, from the ranks of the presidential majority, from the right, from the extreme right and even from part of the left.
However, the next day, LFI announced that an internal investigation had been opened against it by the internal committee for monitoring sexist and sexual violence, after receiving a “testimony relating to alleged acts of sexual violence alleged against Taha Bouhafs”.
In the long letter made public two months later, Taha Bouhafs reports having “never faced the said charges”whether before or after the disclosure by the press of the real reason for the withdrawal, contrary to what LFI had then announced.
Questioning of MP Clémentine Autain
He notably implicates the deputy Clémentine Autain, who collected certain testimonies against him and ordered him to abandon his candidacy on behalf of LFI, on May 9, during a face-to-face meeting.
According to Mr. Bouhafs, Mr.me Autain has “argued that the procedure does not have to go to the end since I would have withdrawn myself: it was precisely at his request that I withdrew, so that the procedure could take place peacefully”.
“So I learn that there will be no investigation, no checks, no confrontation. Taha eliminated. The case is settled. Move along, nothing to see “, the journalist is indignant. He says that she told him: “You may also be paying for others, but that’s how it is, it’s a political bias. »
The journalist also accuses M.me Damn for having pushed him to hide the real reasons for his withdrawal, namely the report for “sexual abuse”, to instead highlight the political attacks on him. What the journalist says he complied with despite his reluctance.
“After a long period of public silence and after several internal reminders, I am coming back to you with this letter to ask you for a fair and equitable procedure in which I could know what exactly I am being accused of”writes Mr. Bouhafs.
LFI claims to “respect the complainants’ desire for anonymity”
“We do not recognize ourselves in his version of part of the facts which led to his withdrawal from the candidacy for the legislative elections, but we hear his approach and take it into account”reacted LFI in a press release made public at the end of the day.
Recalling her “feminist commitment”, “which [le] leads to taking into consideration the voice of women victims of sexual violence and to applying a principle of precaution.LFI affirms that “two reports likely to be characterized as serious accusations of sexual assault [lui] were addressed at a time when Taha Bouhafs was preparing to be invested by our political movement”.
The party founded by Mr. Mélenchon stresses that it did not make the facts public at first “for the reason that the complainants wished to remain anonymous” et “so as not to publicly lay an accusation against a man without him being able to defend himself in adversarial proceedings”.
He thus specifies that he cannot “transmit to him the information sent to the cell”nor organize a confrontation “because we respect the complainants’ desire for anonymity”. However, LFI informs that “in respect of the contradictory, Taha Bouhafs may be heard by our authorities” and add continue « [son] work of conviction with the plaintiffs so that they seize the justice for which we cannot replace ourselves “.
For her part, Clémentine Autain refuted the version put forward by Mr. Bouhafs, claiming on Twitter : “What he writes is taken at face value by the very people who insulted him so much, with contempt and racism. I will not open Pandora’s box of controversy on each point of Taha Bouhafs’ letter (…) I assure you that she distorts the reality of our exchange, when she does not say things that are factually false. »
The movement of Jean-Luc Mélenchon also had to manage, during the past week, the rumors then the accusation by the former activist “rebellious” Sophie Tissier of sexual harassment against LFI deputy Eric Coquerel. The “rebellious” continue to unite behind the newly elected deputy at the head of the finance committee, despite the opening of an internal investigation procedure and the filing of a complaint by Mme Tissier.