Accused of sexual violence by two women in May 2022, the journalist and activist had to withdraw from the race for the legislative elections.
By QM with AFP
© JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
Published on
Subscriber-only audio playback
Taha Bouhafs returns to La France insoumise. The party has closed the procedure of its internal cell dedicated to sexual and gender-based violence against the former journalist, forced to give up his candidacy for the 2022 legislative elections in the face of accusations of women, learned Agence France-Presse from the movement. .
After the withdrawal of a first accuser in the procedure before the Committee of Respect for Principles (CRP) of the movement, in February, the second accuser indicated that she did not wish to file a complaint or confront Taha Bouhafs with her accusations, indicated a source close to her. management, confirming information from BFMTV.
“In accordance with our internal rules and respect for normal procedure, the CRP lifts the precautionary measure and does not take new measures,” said this source. “We welcome today this decision that we have been waiting for too long,” reacted in a press release the lawyers of Taha Bouhafs, Ms.are William Bourdon, Raphaël Kempf and Vincent Brengarth.
READ ALSOSexual assault: the denials of the left
“A form of social and professional banishment”
“We recall that Taha Bouhafs, who has always claimed his innocence, has not been the subject of any complaint, nor of any legal proceedings”, write the councils. “Yet he was excluded from the legislative elections, from his political movement and was the subject of a form of social and professional banishment because of which he has been unemployed for a year”. They conclude: “May this whole story make us reflect collectively on the dangers of parallel justice. »
READ ALSOViolence against women: the impossible line of the Insoumis
The case had caused a stir in the middle of the legislative campaign, raising the question of the merits for the parties to substitute themselves for justice. MP Clémentine Autain, among other Insoumis, had defended the need for internal procedures to better support the word of potential victims, believing that justice was fallible in the matter.
READ ALSOThe Melenchonists, Taha Bouhafs and the true face of contempt
For his part, Taha Bouhafs had denounced the internal procedure, indicating that he had never been confronted with the accusations and therefore had not been able to defend himself against them. His lawyers indicated that he “will speak in due time, if it proves useful”, after the decision of the CRP.