Accused of sexist remarks towards female collaborators, the Limoges public prosecutor will have to leave his post. The Minister of Justice confirmed the sanction recommended by the Superior Council of the Judiciary.
Tuesday March 12, 2024, the Minister of Justice asked that the public prosecutor of Limoges (Haute-Vienne), Baptiste Porcher, 47, accused of sexist remarks and questionable jokes against several women, leaves office. With this decision, it confirms the opinion of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) rendered this Tuesday.
Eric Dupond-Moretti reinforces the CSM
Baptiste Porcher was prosecuted for “failures of the delicacy and dignity of the magistrate”. “I take note of the opinion of the CSM, which is in accordance with my requisitions. Behavior of a sexist nature within our jurisdictions is unacceptable and cannot go unanswered. I will therefore apply the sanctions proposed by the CSM” indicated Eric Dupond-Moretti on X.
Tuesday evening, the Superior Council of the Judiciary issued the opinion to withdraw the functions of public prosecutor of Limoges from Baptiste Porcher, accompanied by an official transfer. “This opinion, consistent with that requested by the Minister of Justice, at the origin of the prosecution, serves as a reminder that inappropriate and sexist comments and behavior within the courts are unacceptable and cannot remain unanswered” indicates the ministry. from France Info. For its part, the Chancellery would like to recall that “action in favor of gender equality and the fight against sexist violence, constant priorities of the Ministry of Justice, require the daily exemplarity of all”.
“I ended up hiding behind doors”
Baptiste Porcher’s gritty, inappropriate and sexist remarks first led to an alert from the Prosecutor’s Office in August 2022, then to the opening of an administrative investigation by the General Inspectorate of Justice (IGJ) to investigate possible ethical breaches. A CSM investigation made it possible to collect several testimonies from women accusing the magistrate who has been in office for 4 years in Haute-Vienne.
The latter mentioned “the discomfort of his conversations, the avoidance strategies to avoid meeting him at the coffee machine, fatigue and harassment for some” reveals France Inter. During his disciplinary hearing on February 6, 2024, Baptiste Porcher recognized the inappropriate nature of his jokes, such as when he compared one of his colleagues leaving the hearing to his wife, she “does the same when she wants to play love” he would have said. “I ended up hiding behind the doors, it never stopped” indicated the employee. “There are also inappropriate gestures on the slightly low-cut t-shirt of a justice assistant.” He also happened to add “TION” on the police custody table next to the surname of a suspect whose name was Fella.