Sexual harassment at LADOM: former regional director tried in Pointe-à-Pitre
Former regional director of LADOM Raoul Lebrave appeared on charges of sexual harassment against a former colleague. The verdict is expected on 19 May.
Former LADOM director in court for sexual harassment
The criminal court in Pointe-à-Pitre examined on Tuesday 5 May a case of alleged sexual harassment involving a former colleague of LADOM, according to la1ere.franceinfo.fr. Raoul Lebrave, regional director of the establishment from 2012 to 2021, had to answer questions regarding alleged conduct between 2013 and 2014. The verdict was postponed to 19 May.
Wearing a blue jacket and beige trousers, Raoul Lebrave appeared at the bar strongly denying the accusations. He described himself as an attentive manager who listens, repeatedly saying: "I know how to conduct myself in society." He attributed the entire proceedings to a trade union conspiracy.
Witnesses contradict defence version
This version was largely challenged by one of two witnesses cited by the defence itself. This former reception agent described a manager with heavy and tactile behaviour, claiming to have received a photo of his genitals. "All the girls who worked at LADOM were supposedly part of Raoul Lebrave's harem. I always refused," she stated.
The other witness, Jean-Claude Degras, Lebrave's predecessor as director of LADOM, described the victim as an excellent colleague whom he had himself recruited in 2004. "Today, I feel as though we have killed Peggy," he said.
Victim testifies to her daily suffering
Visibly still traumatised, the victim described at the bar the impact of sexually charged jokes, inappropriate gestures — a hand on the back of the neck or in the hair — and the anxiety that had set in at the thought of coming to work. She had initially hidden the situation from her husband. "It destroyed my life. Today, I want to be protected because I am still afraid of this man," she stated.
Called back to the bar after these testimonies, Raoul Lebrave maintained his version and accused the first witness and the victim of having lied.
Submissions and arguments
The two lawyers for the civil party then took the floor. Me Anis Malouche highlighted the imbalance between a superior and a colleague subjected to an environment he himself would have maintained. "The latter controls the system which allows him to ensure his impunity," he stated. Me Marjolaine Vignola considered that the constituent elements of sexual harassment were fully established and that her client expected a conviction that would allow her to rebuild her life.
The public prosecutor's office recalled that in 2024, 85 per cent of the 33 complaints of sexual harassment had been dismissed for lack of sufficient evidence in this jurisdiction. "This is a real problem in our court. But in this case, we have around fifty various and consistent testimonies following denunciations that began in 2018," the magistrate emphasised. The prosecution sought ten months' imprisonment with probation against Raoul Lebrave.
Defence pleads for acquittal
Me Plumasseau, for the defence, questioned the temporal reality of the alleged conduct. "We have no material evidence to establish a grievance. Furthermore, the period of the alleged conduct is false, or at the very least poorly established," he argued. He also questioned the credibility of the first witness, who would have received a copy of his statement from the victim the day before the hearing.
Me Chicot concluded the defence submissions by comparing his client's situation to that of any other man. "Tomorrow, any one of us could find ourselves in this man's position over a slightly inappropriate word, a situation that could be misunderstood," he said, before requesting acquittal.
Raoul Lebrave, called to speak last, reaffirmed his innocence and expressed the wish that the case be concluded. The court's decision is expected on 19 May.
Source: Google News GP — Crime