Le Monde reveals that Benoît Simian, deputy Gironde, escapes justice in a case of harassment against his wife. The elected can always count on his parliamentary immunity.
Immunity reigns in the Assembly. In an article from January 21, 2021, Le Monde reports that the deputy for the 5th district of Gironde, Benoît Simian, is still escaping police custody in an investigation for harassment against his wife, launched by the Bordeaux prosecutor's office. The man can indeed count on his parliamentary immunity, recalls the newspaper. A ban on showing up to the matrimonial home is activated against the 37-year-old politician. And, since August 3, 2020, his wife Soraya Simian is under a protection order, information shared by Mediapart. Worse: a serious danger telephone (TGD), which aims to give the alert in an emergency, was entrusted to him on September 10, 2020. How can such a situation continue?
Hello, the Assembly?
Since October 12, 2020, a procedure has been initiated with the National Assembly, so that Benoît Simian can finally be placed in police custody. In vain. On December 9, 2020, the institution simply answered no to the Bordeaux prosecutor's request. It should be known that according to the Constitution, a deputy can go to a free hearing at the request of the investigators. But when it comes to measures restricting freedom (police custody or pre-trial detention) for acts outside the exercise of parliamentarians, the request must be examined by the Bureau of the Assembly. national, which authorizes or not the continuation of the procedure. This intervention "is a guarantee that the exercise of the parliamentary mandate cannot be hampered by abusive procedures", explains the Assembly website.
But in such a situation, how does the institution justify its refusal? "As Mr. Simian has always responded to summons, the board decided unanimously with two abstentions not to waive his immunity", said Annie Genevard, deputy Les Républicains du Doubs, who managed the file. However, according to Le Monde sources, Benoît Simian "for several weeks dodged the notification of the protection order prohibiting him from coming to his home and regularly violated this court order." And according to a judicial source, "With a quarter of what he did, anyone would have been taken into custody, but he is protected by the Assembly." The acts with which he is accused are indeed very serious.
Harassment, breaking into the family home and burglary
It was in the spring of 2020 that Benoît Simian filed for divorce. Following an argument, he packs his bags and leaves the family home accompanied by his two and a half year old daughter. After a first order, a family court judge gives Soraya Simian custody of the child, "except one weekend out of two as well as the full enjoyment of the property". But, as revealed by Le Monde, the parliamentarian continues "to prowl near the house." Day after day, according to his wife, the deputy gives her a "hell". For example, it cuts off water, electricity, gas and the Internet without warning. Then it is "the escalation of psychological harassment". The house occupied by Soraya Simian is even broken into. Testimonies and suspicions that Benoît Simian refutes to the newspaper. "You have to see the panic of the children at the slightest noise near the house. Police custody is the only way to continue the procedure to confront Mr. Simian with the facts.", concludes a police source. But without the lifting of immunity, the politician remains very quiet for the moment.