The case makes a lot of noise. For the past few days, accusations of sexual assault against a journalist have tarnished the reputation of Jean-Jacques Bourdin. The latter, however, was not asked to leave the antenna the time of the investigation. A choice that divides within BFM and RMC, as revealed by Le Parisien on January 18.
Journalist Jean-Jacques Bourdin is accused of attempted sexual assault by one of her colleagues from BFM TV. According to information from Parisian, a complaint was filed on January 11 at the police station of the XVIᵉ arrondissement of Paris. Asked about the affair this Sunday, January 16, the general manager of the chain Marc-Olivier Fogiel affirmed that“there is nothing preventing Jean-Jacques Bourdin from doing his job”. “A simple complaint does not justify disqualifying someone”, he said, adding: “We are not minimizing this accusation or giving it a disproportionate dimension”. Marc-Olivier Fogiel also entrusted the Parisian never to have been “aware of such an accusation”, since working on the channel.
“Others have been dismissed for less than that”
A position that divides within BFMTV. In the columns of Parisian of this Tuesday, January 18, some are surprised that the journalist – who denied the facts – is not removed from the antenna. ” His maintenance (…) is really amazing estimates a journalist of the chain. Others have been discarded for less, like Emmanuel Lechypre. So it gives the impression that he is protected. It struck us a little.” “For BFM, it would have been better if he was no longer on the air, added another. The time of a campaign is not easy to manage. So imagine how hard it will be with suspicions about our star interviewer. Will Bourdin dare to ask Zemmour questions about the accusations of sexual assault against him? It creates real discomfort and can call into question all of our credibility.“, he worries.
Same story on RMC where “a voice from the radio” admits to being shocked. ” We are disappointed (…) Jean-Jacques Bourdin is RMC. He’s been there for 20 years. We also wonder why at TF1, they removed Darius Rochebin from the antenna of LCI the time of an internal investigation and not at home… There was recently a case of sexual harassment at RMC, where an employee was immediately sidelined. We do not understand this double standard “, she asserts.
This decision to keep Anne Nivat’s husband on the air is however admitted by others: “As long as there’s only one complaint it’s fine. But if there’s a second it’s over for him “, estimates an employee. In The Parisian of January 16, we learned that two other women could be brought to testify. How to reshuffle the cards?