General Patrice Paulet, head of the mutual insurance company AGPM, and its deputy director, Véronique Florin-Humann, were indicted on Thursday in Toulon for alleged acts of workplace harassment. About twenty victims have been identified.
In a press release – which does not mention the names of the accused – the public prosecutor’s office in Toulon specifies that the two senior employees have been placed under judicial supervision, which in particular includes a ban on exercising their professional activity, on appearing on the premises of the AGPM and on all contacts with complainants and witnesses“.
Patrick Paulet was charged with “moral harassment” to the detriment of twelve victims and of “sexual harassment” to the detriment of one victim. Véronique Florin-Humann is charged with “moral harassment” to the detriment of seven people. The tandem was placed in police custody this Tuesday, according to information from France Bleu Provence confirmed by the prosecutor’s office.
Two damning reports
The two leaders dispute these charges and continue to benefit from the principle of presumption of innocence, emphasizes Samuel Finielz, public prosecutor in Toulon.
Justice opened an investigation on November 25, 2022, following the publication of press articles that evoked the harmful climate that seemed to prevail in the company, whose headquarters are located in the Sainte-Musse district of Toulon.
Two audit reports conducted after an employee attempted suicide in 2021 had pointed out “ toxic handlingAuthoritarianism, irritating measures, humiliations… The management, supported by some of the employees, made it so known that it did not give credit for the elements passed on by two independent companies.
A “confidentiality clause”
The Organized and Specialized Crime Department (DCOS, the former Department of the Judicial Police) of Var is responsible for the investigation, which is carried out under the direction of an investigating judge from the Toulon Court.
“Several victims and witnesses came forward (…), some of them emphasizing that the employees were afraid to testify,” reports the prosecutor’s office. A non-disclosure agreement binding former employees would even have made it possible to maintain some form of non-disclosure.
The prosecution “would like to point out” that disclosure in good faith of abnormal facts, “whether criminal or not”, cannot be prevented by a duty of confidentiality. The law also protects employees who report harassment.
A Was economic flagship
With more than 700,000 customers, AGPM Group, specializing in the protection (insurance, protection, etc.) of defense and internal security professionals, is considered a financial flagship in the Var. Its turnover is more than half a billion euros.
In recent months, the group has joined forces with other historic players in the sector within a group that has just won the market for “supplementary health care” for all civilian personnel in the Ministry of Defence.
In an information brochure regarding its activities, AGPM assures that it is “attentive to creating a caring environment favorable to the development of its employees”.
