A French police officer has been ordered to pay €1,000 ($1,000) after insulting a woman who had filed a sexual assault complaint, calling her a whore in a voicemail message.
The incident, which occurred in February 2022, led to public outrage. The woman, then 34, reported being assaulted after a night out and filed her complaint at a Paris police station. Afterwards, a male police officer left a voicemail asking her to return and complete her paperwork. Believing he had hung up, he proceeded to insult her, calling her a whore twice and a fat whore once.
The case sparked anger, with activists condemning the officer’s treatment of sexual assault victims. Even France’s then Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, called for the officer’s dismissal. Although the officer was charged with “non-public insult because of gender,” he was cleared of criminal liability by a French court in January 2024.
However, the woman appealed, seeking acknowledgement of the officer’s misconduct. On January 30, the Paris Court of Appeal ruled in her favor, ordering the officer to pay €1,000.
The officer apologised during the trial, claiming his comments were born out of frustration with procedural issues. The court, however, found that his remarks were offensive and aimed at the woman due to her gender.
The woman’s lawyer, Arie Alimi, emphasised the importance of holding authorities accountable for the mistreatment of sexual and gender-based violence victims.
