Moral harassment in Chartres-de-Bretagne: former deputy and former director tried in Rennes
Two former officials from Chartres-de-Bretagne town hall appeared before the court on Tuesday facing accusations of moral harassment towards a municipal employee. A ruling is expected in early June.
"Back then, the town hall was like Dallas": trial for moral harassment in Chartres-de-Bretagne
According to actu.fr, Jean-Guy Cluze, former deputy in charge of works and public procurement, and Carole-Anne, former director of the planning and living environment department of Chartres-de-Bretagne, appeared on Tuesday 12 May 2026 before Rennes criminal court. They faced accusations of moral harassment towards Lucie, former head of the environment service in this town south of Rennes.
The case takes place against a backdrop of particularly tense politics at the town hall, marked by accusations of misappropriation, internal crisis between elected officials and a previous conviction for fraud and breach of trust. The civil party's lawyer, Ms Gwendoline Tenier, summed up the atmosphere of the time in one phrase: "Back then, the town hall was like Dallas", referring to the famous American television series depicting the rivalry of two families in Texas.
A deteriorating professional relationship from 2019 onwards
It all began in spring 2019. The relationship between Lucie and her superior Carole-Anne, previously described as "fluid", deteriorated when new tasks were assigned to Lucie without particular support. Complaints mounted rapidly. "I wasn't doing my job, files were falling behind, I lacked organisation", Lucie said from the witness stand.
Carole-Anne then wrote a letter to the mayor at the time, Philippe Bonnin (former PS), in which she described her subordinate as a "narcissistic pervert". Philippe Bonnin, who held the post for thirty years and did not seek re-election in last March's municipal elections, has since been replaced by David Le Borgne (various left).
Suspicions of theft and surveillance at home
The two defendants are accused of having harboured persistent suspicions against Lucie, despite her never being implicated by the courts. They allegedly suspected her of stealing plants ordered by the municipality, using the town hall petrol cards for personal purposes, or financing the excavation of her house with municipal funds.
Jean-Guy Cluze even went so far as to take "a bike ride" to the head of service's home to verify his suppositions. On her return from several months of absence in March 2020 — following a honeymoon then an operation — a department head allegedly welcomed her with these words: "Here comes the thief back."
A political crisis that swept away seven elected officials
Spring 2021 marked, according to numerous staff members heard during the investigation, the climax of a "deleterious climate" at the town hall. Seven elected officials allegedly sent letters to the public prosecutor and to the president of the regional audit office to denounce alleged misappropriations. On 8 September 2021, they publicly denounced a "lack of transparency" in municipal decision-making. Four were removed from office; the other three resigned in solidarity.
Jean-Guy Cluze was part of this "group of seven", which held the mayor "solely responsible for the crisis". It was in this context that he and Carole-Anne are accused of making Lucie the target of their suspicions.
Post-traumatic stress and request for expert assessment
Lucie, who took over as head of the technical resources department in March 2023, said she understood at that point that she had "moved to another level". She suffers today from "post-traumatic stress", according to the forensic doctor who examined her. Ms Tenier requested a medico-psychiatric expert assessment of her client, considering that "her psychological state is concerning". For the lawyer, Lucie found herself "caught in a political battle between different groups".
The defendants claim good faith
Carole-Anne, now head of major projects and roads at Fougères city, claims she simply "raised awareness about concrete facts that were stifled by the mayor" at the time. "There were rumours, but I wasn't feeding them", she declared, while asserting she had "absolutely nothing against Lucie". She describes herself as having been "the pariah of the municipality" after being sidelined from the technical services.
The lawyers for the two defendants, Ms Pierre-Yves Launay and Delphine Caro, pleaded for acquittal, citing a context of "rumours", "hearsay" and "allegations" which could not constitute characterised moral harassment.
The public prosecutor defers to the court
The public prosecutor, for her part, deferred her position "to the wisdom of the court", emphasising the complexity of the offence of moral harassment. Rennes criminal court has adjourned its judgment; the decision is expected in early June.
The civil party's first name has been changed.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)