Duhamel scandal

The Duhamel scandal was a 2021 scandal involving a leading Parisian social and political sciences university, Sciences Po.[1][2] The scandal originated from accusations in a book written by Camille Kouchner, La Familia Grande. In that book, Kouchner, daughter of former minister Bernard Kouchner, accused Olivier Duhamel, her step-father, of sexually abusing her twin brother.[3] The resulting outrage resulted in multiple resignations from the school and in Duhamel's confession. The public questioned Sciences Po's handling of the alleged activity, but the school was ultimately exonerated.

History and scandal

Olivier Duhamel, a revered professor and politician, was also president of the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (FNSP) which oversees and finances Sciences Po.[4] After the sexual abuse allegations Duhamel resigned from his job at the FNSP, as host of a popular radio programme on Europe 1, and deleted his Twitter account.[5][6]

In her book, Camille Kouchner explains that dozens of her mother's intellectual friends knew about the abuse but chose to keep quiet.[7] French news magazine L'Obs reported that Duhamel also organized events with the French intelligentsia involving adults and children partaking in sexual acts and alcohol consumption.[8] In La Familia Grande, Kouchner depicts the environment in which such events took place, and how the intelligentsia justified them intellectually. Nudity among children and adults was encouraged. Duhamel took photos of children and adults and hung them in large format on the walls.[9][10] According to a witness who talked to L'Obs but whose identity has not been revealed, children were told about sex and then asked to mime sexual acts in front of their parents. Twelve-year-old girls were dressed in provocative clothes and makeup, and sent to dance with 40-year-old men. Older children were asked to tell the audience about their first sexual experiences. Young boys were "offered" to older women.[8] All of these acts were "brushed aside and silenced based on 1970s hedonism and complex parents-children relations."[11] 

The abuse of Camille's brother allegedly started in 1989 when he was fourteen years old. He confided in his sister Camille but swore her to secrecy. By 2008, as a 33 year old father, he refused to allow his children to spend holidays with his mother, Évelyne Pisier and Duhamel. He revealed the sexual abuse to his mother when she questioned this, and then later to his aunt Marie-France Pisier. Évelyne, a professor at Sciences Po, allegedly believed the story but sided with her husband. Marie-France Pisier, on the other hand, took great offence at the abuse and her sister's inaction.[12] In 2011, Marie-France Pisier was found dead in her swimming pool. The death was ruled a suicide, and a link to the above-mentioned scandal was found to be unclear.[13] Évelyne Pisier passed away in 2017.[14]

Bernard Kouchner learned about the abuse in the 2010s and wanted to physically assault Duhamel, but Camille prevented him. Bernard went on to applaud his children's courage and honesty.[15][6]

Aftermath

Further information: Sciences Po § Duhamel scandal

The scandal was compared to a "bomb" launched on Sciences Po[16] and to an "unpinned grenade thrown at Sciences Po".[17] Olivier Duhamel, director of the National Foundation of Sciences Po, Frédéric Mion, director of Sciences Po, and other members of the board of these institutions resigned. It led to other scandals and a succession crisis. The hashtag #SciencesPorcs was also created. While the book and media coverage questioned Sciences Po's responsibility in covering up sexual abuse and paedophilia, the school was exonerated of the allegations.[18]

Camille Kouchner's book sparked a wave of reactions on Twitter under the hashtag #MetooIncest and #MeTooGay.[2][7] An investigation concerning Duhamel was opened by Paris prosecutors in January 2021 about "rape and sexual aggression against a minor".[6][19] The scandal broke a national taboo on the abuse of minors and accelerated the advent of new child protection laws.[7]

In April 2021, Duhamel confessed to sexually abusing his stepson.[7] On June 14, 2021, French police announced they would drop the investigation into charges of sexual aggression against and rape of a minor because the statute of limitations had expired. They said that, had this not been the case, the facts revealed in their investigation would have led to a prosecution.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Pourquoi l'affaire Duhamel plonge-t-elle Sciences Po dans la tourmente ?". France Culture (in French). 12 January 2021. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  2. ^ a b El-Faizy, Monique (2021-02-17). "After a sluggish start, #MeToo movements pick up steam in France". France 24. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  3. ^ Chemin, Ariane (4 January 2021). "Olivier Duhamel, l'inceste et les enfants du silence". Le Monde.fr. Archived from the original on September 15, 2023.
  4. ^ Bacqué, Raphaël (8 January 2021). "Sciences Po, cœur du pouvoir d'Olivier Duhamel". Le Monde. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023.
  5. ^ Willsher, Kim (2021-01-05). "High-profile French political scientist accused of sexually abusing stepson". the Guardian. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  6. ^ a b c "French intellectual under investigation, accused of raping underage stepson". RFI. 2021-01-05. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  7. ^ a b c d "French intellectual Olivier Duhamel confesses to sexually abusing stepson". France 24. 2021-04-14. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  8. ^ a b Le Bailley, David; Le Drollec, Alexandre (13 January 2021). "" Il était sa propre planète et on gravitait autour " : quand Olivier Duhamel régnait sur Sanary". L'Obs. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023.
  9. ^ Giulani, Morgane (June 1, 2023). ""La familia grande", l'inceste comme mécanisme de domination". Marie Claire. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  10. ^ Les meilleurs extraits de La familia grande
  11. ^ "Vu de Suisse. L'affaire Kouchner/Duhamel, une "grenade dégoupillée lancée sur Sciences Po"". Courrier international (in French). 2021-01-13. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  12. ^ "VIDEO. Affaire Duhamel : quand un secret tu pendant vingt ans a fait se déchirer une famille". Franceinfo (in French). 2021-05-27. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  13. ^ Boutry, Timothee; Gautronneau, Vincent (January 5, 2021). "Affaire Olivier Duhamel : une enquête avait été ouverte après le suicide de Marie-France Pisier". Le Parisien (in French). Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  14. ^ "Mort d'Evelyne Pisier, figure intellectuelle de gauche". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2017-02-11. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  15. ^ Auffray, Alain; Faure, Sonya; Alemagna, Lilian (January 4, 2021). "Le politologue Olivier Duhamel accusé d'inceste par ses beaux-enfants". Libération. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  16. ^ "L'onde de choc de l'affaire Duhamel". Le Figago.
  17. ^ Werly, Richard (12 January 2021). "A Sciences Po, le scandale mine la fabrique de l'élite". Le Temps. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  18. ^ Mallet, Victor (2021-02-10). "Sciences Po director resigns as child abuse scandal rocks Paris establishment". Financial Times. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  19. ^ "Olivier Duhamel: French political scientist faces inquiry over sex abuse claims". BBC News. 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  20. ^ Méheut, Constant (June 14, 2021). "France Drops Rape Investigation of Prominent Intellectual". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2023.