Former Green minister: two-year suspended prison sentence sought for sexual assault
A court has sought a two-year suspended prison sentence against Jean-Vincent Placé, a former Under-Secretary of State, tried for harassment and sexual assault against two women. The former Green senator acknowledged "excesses" while denying the specific accusations.
Prosecution seeks sentence against former Under-Secretary of State for sexual harassment
According to TF1 Info, a two-year suspended prison sentence was sought on Friday 30 October in Paris against Jean-Vincent Placé, former Under-Secretary of State in the Hollande government. The public prosecutor denounced a pattern of touching, sexist remarks and humiliation towards two women whom he allegedly harassed and sexually assaulted.
Placé denied the specific accusations, claiming not to remember the incident involving the second complainant. However, he acknowledged "excesses" from the stand in his most recent statements and offered his "sincere apologies" to his former colleague. The former Green senator justified his change in position by stressing that society had changed: he would "not do" certain gestures again, he declared.
The first complainant filed charges for incidents dating from 2016. She described an atmosphere of permanent "sexualisation" of the workplace. On 14 July 2016, at the Palazzo Farnese in Rome, she claims she was pulled from her bed in the middle of the night by Placé, who allegedly ordered her to dance a slow dance with a French senator. She also testifies to unwanted contact in an Italian restaurant where Placé was celebrating his appointment as Under-Secretary of State.
Placé admitted to being "heavy-handed" and "insistent" with "inappropriate" behaviour, but denied any physical assault on the breasts. The second complainant alleges sexual assault in South Korea in the back of a car. Placé acknowledged a period of "pathological alcoholism" at that time and is currently seeing an addiction specialist.
The prosecution emphasised that "putting a hand on the thigh or buttocks" was "no more admissible" in 2016 than it is today. Placé responded that he "no longer gives kisses on the cheek" and "shakes hands with everyone" now.
Prior convictions and verdict expected
Placé was previously sentenced on 1 March 2021 to a fine for sexual harassment of a gendarme in 2016. In 2018, he also received a three-year suspended prison sentence for violence, disrespect towards a person holding public authority and racial abuse. In both previous cases, he was intoxicated.
The verdict of this trial is expected on 10 December 2024.
Source: TF1 Info