After the indictment of Jacques Bouthier, tongues loosened. A former employee of Assu 2000 told BFMTV that she was fired in November 2021, after refusing the insistent advances of the former boss of the insurance brokerage group, accused in particular of “trafficking in human beings” and of “rape of a minor”.
The young woman explains that she was hired by Assu 2000 in 2017 – renamed Vilavi at the start of the year – to work in Tangier, Morocco. From the outset, she says that company officials would have played touts for Jacques Bouthier. “During my training, they [the executives of the company] explain to me that I am clearly Jacques Bouthier’s style.”
A few months later, the CEO goes to the premises of his company in Tangier, where he meets the young woman in her twenties. “He comes next to me, he touches my shoulder, he slips his hand. I push him away and then he says in front of everyone, ‘In God’s name, what a beauty, what a beautiful breast,’” she says.
Then, the following year, in 2018, he again made advances to the young woman during a gala organized at the French consulate in Tangier. “He tells me that at the French Consulate there are small hiding places. I said: Mr. Bouthier, why are you talking to me about this, I’m never going to leave with you. And at the same time I’m afraid of losing my job,” she describes.
After these refusals, the young woman claims to have been set aside by the company, and threatened with dismissal. In November 2021, she turns to the business manager for explanations. “He said to me: ‘soon I will come to Tangier, you sleep with me and I will protect you, you will be my protege'”, she says. “I refuse directly, I tell him: Mr. Bouthier, I am not that kind of girl.”
But, according to her, the harassment continues, and the proposals become more and more raw. “He said to me, ‘you’ll start sucking me off and then I’ll listen to you’.” Another time he texted her, “Don’t worry, we’ll sleep together and everything will be fine.” I hope you’re doing well, you have a nice sucking mouth.”
On November 18, 2021, the tone of his text messages changed abruptly. “I get a message from him: ‘you bitch, you’re going to get out.’ The next day, I was fired,” she reports. The young woman says she was then threatened not to reveal these exchanges.
After the indictment of Jacques Bouthier – who resigned from his mandate as president of Assu 2000, the group told AFP on Tuesday – the young woman decided to file a complaint in France, in particular for harassment.
