LFI: Mélenchon wants to improve the procedures of the committee against sexual violence

July 9, 2022

The result of the procedures of the committee against sexual and gender-based violence (CVSS) of LFI is “not yet satisfactory” and “we must think” about improving them, said Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Friday, citing the case of Taha Bouhafs.

Subject of a report to the LFI committee for alleged sexual violence, Taha Bouhafs had seen his investiture in the June legislative elections withdrawn by LFI. He came out of his silence on Tuesday to blame the party for not allowing him to defend himself against the charges. His lawyers denounced Thursday a procedure “outside the law” carried out by the CVSS of LFI.

The party defended itself by explaining that it could not send it “the information sent to the cell”, nor organize a confrontation, in the name of “the complainants’ desire for anonymity”, while stressing that Mr. Bouhafs “could be heard” by its authorities.

“The current situation is not satisfactory. We cannot wash our hands of any aspect of the human result that it gives”, underlines the leader of LFI in an interview with Liberation.

“The system itself is looking for its balance point. Deciding to believe the word of women is an arbitrary choice but we assume it. But that cannot be enough,” he adds.

“You have to be able to tell the person who complained I believe you and take the necessary measures. And take into account, at the other end, a young man of 25 who asks to be able to present his defense when he is condemned for life to infamy” and “does not know what he is accused of”, he develops.

So “we must now think again. How to be for the right to defence, the right to adversarial action and, ourselves in certain circumstances, even with legitimate and compelling reasons, to do the opposite”, he asks, emphasizing: “I don’t know the answer”.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon also reaffirms that the LFI president of the Finance Committee Eric Coquerel, targeted by a complaint for sexual harassment, “is not guilty of anything at all” and “is the subject of a rumor and a political operation.

On Public Senate, the rebellious MP Danielle Simonnet said for her part “very proud” of the way the Taha Bouhafs affair was handled, and judged that with regard to Eric Coquerel, “we are on inappropriate behavior”, and that “the basic principle is to believe the word of the victims”.

But she insists on the need to “understand the graduation in the issues of sexist and sexual violence”. “We do not put in the same box what is inappropriate behavior and which, in a party, a movement, must be treated seriously, with an offense (sexual assault, crime, etc.)”, she adds.

Asked moreover about the alliance of the left Nupes, Jean-Luc Mélenchon is pleased that its constitution has made it possible to “resolve a crisis which has lasted on the left for a generation”, and that “from now on, it will be very expensive to come down from the train”. “That goes for everyone. Including for us Insoumis”.

He hopes that the partners LFI, PS, EELV and PCF will “agree on common mass actions such as a march in September for purchasing power”.