The public rapporteur of the Administrative Court of Rouen (Seine-Maritime) on Tuesday asked for the annulment of the dismissal of a police officer and the confirmation of that of another, in a case of racist remarks targeting a black ex-colleague. The court will render its decision “within a fortnight,” said its president Jérôme Berthet-Fouqué.
The words referred to were made on the WhatsApp messaging where the victim, who lodged a complaint at the end of 2019, was notably treated as a “negro” doing “anything because he is black”.
“He said he did not read all the written messages”
Tuesday, the public rapporteur Thomas Bertoncini advocated “the cancellation” of the dismissal of one of the police. “There is a problem with the proportionality of the sanction. He is the one who took the least part in the exchanges. It is qualified as being the most discreet by the administrative investigation ”, justified Thomas Bertoncini.
“He indicated that he did not read all the written messages. There are only five messages held which are reproached to him, held over two days: “the blacks, it is the future”, “it is black work, the whites, it is something else” “, continued the magistrate. “He is qualified as serious and providing quality work by his administration,” he added.
More complicated for the second policeman
On the other hand, the rapporteur requested the rejection of the request of a second police officer who also requested the annulment of his dismissal. About him, “the administration did not go astray,” said Thomas Bertoncini. The official “produced about fifty publications on this Whatsapp account. Their racist, anti-Semitic, misogynistic, discriminatory character is evident from their reading, ”argued the magistrate. In addition, the official “has already been the subject of a sanction, a reprimand, in 2018”, added the magistrate.
“The WhatsApp group is not a public group”
His lawyer Marie-Perrine Philippe assured that the police officer was “in great depression” and had “always been exemplary” until then. “The WhatsApp group is not a public group,” she added. “There are communities that do not like what I represent, the white male, and I apply a form of reciprocity”, his client declared on September 3 in Evreux during the criminal trial of five police officers in this case. .
The prosecution had requested a 1,000 euros fine against this man considered to be the “ideologue” of the group. The criminal court is due to render its decision on November 5. One hundred and fifty euros fine were required against the police officer whose rapporteur requested the annulment of the dismissal.