Swiss philosopher and writer Alexandre Jollien is under investigation in Paris after a complaint for sexual assault and exhibition was filed in June 2021, the Paris prosecutor’s office told Agence France-Presse on Friday June 10 (AFP). ), which confirms information from Parisian. The investigations were entrusted to the police station of 5e arrondissement of Paris and are ” In progress “added the prosecution.
The 46-year-old philosopher, severely handicapped by cerebral palsy, “totally disagree” these charges, said his lawyer, Philippe Guillemard. “I have never imposed anything on anyone sexually”said the philosopher in a written exchange with The Parisianof which AFP obtained a copy.
In the columns of the newspaper, a former trainee from the publishing house Les Arènes accuses him of having sexually touched him in a Paris hotel room, during work sessions, during the summer of 2015 According to his account, Mr Jollien also asked her to give him a hand massage – which he agreed to – and repeatedly offered to undress – which he refused.
“My point is just to say that I have been harassed”
In the exchange quoted by The Parisian, the writer admitted to having found himself once naked in front of the trainee, in the presence of other collaborators during a work session. The young man, then 20 years old, said he spoke about it within the publishing house but did not file a complaint at the time. “I do not blame Alexandre Jollien for his desire. (…) My point is fair to say that I have been harassed”said the young man daily.
Me Guillemard said to have “the impression that the timing is not spontaneous: there is a will to harm”. “People who know him know it’s kindness itself. [Les faits dénoncés] are in total contradiction with what he is and what he was able to express through his writings, he is very concerned about others and respect for the law “added the council, specifying that his client had not yet been heard.
The lawyer for the former trainee could not immediately be reached. Asked by AFP, the writer’s current publisher, Gallimard, where he went after the alleged facts, did not wish to comment on the case.
Alexandre Jollien, married and father of a family, is the author of successful books such as The Praise of Weakness (Cerf, 1999) or even The Naked Philosopher (Threshold, 2010). He was recently starring in the movie Almostalongside his friend Bernard Campan, actor and director.