2023-06-02 02:56:31
The prosecution requested Thursday a suspended prison sentence, 10,000 euros fine and 5 years of ineligibility against the former LREM deputy Laetitia Avia, judged for moral harassment on seven of his former parliamentary assistants between 2017 and 2020.
The trial of the former deputy for Paris and pillar of the majority, who vigorously contests any harassmentbegan on May 9 and 10 before being interrupted because of the busy schedule of the 31st correctional chamber of the Paris court.
In her indictment, the prosecutor considered that the elected official had “denigrated” and “humiliated” her collaborators, in particular by “jibes” and remarks aimed at sexual orientation or origins, that she had also established a “climate of fear” and demanded “excessive working hours” as well as undue tasks related to his personal life.
No “political conspiracy” for the prosecutor
The representative of the public prosecutor’s office underlined the “excess” and the “repetition” which emerge from the testimonies of the seven former collaborators, two of whom did not want to file a civil action. “They denounce the same words, the same facts”, underlined the magistrate.
“The particular situation of the deputy and of his parliamentary assistant does not allow the former to flout the fundamental labor rights of the latter. Even if we integrate this workload, this pressure (specific to the work of deputy), the fact remains that everyone stays in their place, ”said the prosecutor.
She dismissed the thesis of a “political conspiracy”, according to which the Mediapart article which had revealed the testimonies in 2020 had appeared while the deputy was defending her law against online hatred in the Assembly.
“Make your words and actions consistent”
For the prosecution, the plaintiffs on the contrary denounced the facts “over the water”, in a discussion group without the deputy and by seizing the ethics officer of the Assembly.
“Fighting hate online is good (the MP had brought a law against online hate), but being kind to your teams is good too. This is part of the attributes of the employer deputy and his office and it makes it possible to make his words and his actions consistent, ”she said in conclusion.
The defense of Laetitia Avia must plead Thursday evening.
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