After Adrien Quatennens’ justifications, feminists are outraged by LFI’s reactions

Topics, in which Adrien Quatennens has “grabbed” his wife’s wrist, “took his cell phone”specifying that he would “bumped elbow” want to recover it. Then a slap, delivered “in a context of extreme tension and mutual aggression”.

In a press release published on Sunday, September 18 on Twitter, the deputy of the LFI for the North Adrien Quatennens wanted to take the initiative in explaining the facts that could be reproached to him in the handrail deposited in early September by his wife, with whom is in divorce proceedings.

He has long returned to his married life, evoking the last family vacation, then his wife’s desire to end their marriage, as well as several sequences of domestic violence. In the same release, he also announceswithdraw from the position of coordinator of France Insoumise for “To protect the movement, its militants and all those who count a lot on me. “ An expected decision and a statement that did not fail to react, on the left as well as on the right.

Is the confessed guilt half repaired?

In a short, long-awaited press release, La France Insoumise welcomed Adrien Quatennens’ decision to retire on Sunday and said it reiterated its “Constant commitment in the fight against violence against women”recalling the existence within it of a surveillance committee against gender and sexual violence “always available to listen to women’s voices”.

The expression of support for the victims of the violence is very subtle, given the distressing reaction of the party leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a few hours earlier. In a first tweet, he “greet dignity” of an Adrien Quatennens who “he decided to take it all by himself”placing the blame on social networks, the media and al “police malice”totally omitting the acts of violence in question:

A few hours later, trying in vain to recover, he adds:

The boss of La France Insoumise, however, does not seem to take the gravity of the situation seriously, expressing no compassion for Céline Quatennens and, more generally, for all the victims of violence.

But Jean-Luc Mélenchon is not the only one who pretends to ignore how such a reaction is a real political word, going against the defense of women’s rights, which LFI claims to place at the center of its priorities. At the same time, also tweets the deputy of Paris Sophia Chikirou : “There is the couple of friends we love and hate to see each other separate. There is the political leader, Adrien Quatennens, whom we admire for his honesty and selflessness. Leave them alone now! “.

Bitter-tasting reactions, which give the feeling that the fight against violence against women is variable within LFI.

Caroline de Haas, Anne-Cécile Mailfert, Marine Tondelier… The reactions of amazement are linked

The reactions of astonishment, in the face of this glaring lack of consideration for the violence in question, did not make themselves felt. In response to Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s tweet, feminist activist Caroline de Haas wrote a few lines that might have been a more acceptable alternative response from the head of LFI:

In an article by Worldshe states:

The first speech of the leader of the left in France, after the communiqué of a deputy who recognizes the violence, cannot be to greet the perpetrator of the violence. Jean-Luc Mélenchon is proud to be connected to the company, it is very far there, light years from #metoo.

Caroline de Haas

The newspaper also reports on its website the comments of Hélène Bidard, national head of the feminist commission of the French Communist Party, who believes that this situation shows, if necessary, that politicians are still a long way from realizing it :

There is still no awareness of politicians, the first reflection remains the overturning of guilt, of responsibility. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, his word counts, is an example. For the victims, double penalty.

Elena Bidard

On the Europe Ecologie-Les Verts side, Upper France regional councilor Marine Tondelier tweeted in a desperate tone:

always inside The worldshe states: “His first tweet is distressing, he doesn’t have a single word for the victim. Whoever wants to be the natural mouthpiece of the left should be a forerunner on these issues. He proves he doesn’t understand. “

Among many other reactions,he President of the Women’s Foundation, Anne-Cécile Mailfert, remembers, if necessary, the difference between conflict and violenceand suggests a video to Jean-Luc Mélenchon “to the train” :

Train politicians in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence

Sunday, on BFMTV, the co-founder of the Observatory on sexual and sexist violence in politics Mathilde Viot believed, in her opinion, that Adrien Quatennens should withdraw from political life, purely and simply, and then resign from his mandate as deputy:

A man who admits to being violent with his wife (…) can hardly represent the general interest ”.

Matilde Viot

In your opinion, “If it stayed, it would send an absolutely damaging signal to all people who are victims of violence. “

But after the Taha Bouhafs affair (whose retirement from investiture was made opaque, while he was accused of sexual assault) and allegations of sexual harassment to Saine-Saint-Denis deputy Eric Coquerel, the Quatennens affair raises also the broader question of policy formation in the fight against sexist and sexual violence.

An issue on which the deputies of the LFI will have to work, which this Thursday will have two hours of compulsory training on the occasion of their first parliamentary day … A calendar that goes to the point, but whose effectiveness remains to be demonstrated.

Image from the first page: Youtube screenshot