He is one of the personalities whose voice counts in Brest. Co-founder and former boss of the Dialogues bookstore, the third largest independent bookstore in France, Charles Kermarec was tried on Thursday before the city court for sexual assault, reports West France.
It was an employee of the bookstore who filed a complaint in 2018, leading to the indictment of Charles Kermarec for sexual assault and sexual harassment. The facts would have taken place in the office of the boss of Dialogues. After having complimented his employee on her tan, the accused would then have made sexual advances to her before hugging her.
The accused evokes “a cabal”
During the hearing, Charles Kermarec denied the facts. At the time of his indictment, he also mentioned “false accusations, the result of a carefully orchestrated cabal whose goal is to force me to leave Dialogues”. Several testimonies collected by the investigators from employees of the bookstore, however, evoke “hands on the buttocks” or “unhealthy looks”.
After eight hours of hearing, the court sentenced him to a one-year suspended prison sentence. He was also placed on the sex offenders file. Charles Kermarec immediately appealed the decision.