Cergy: ESSEC students still mobilized against sexual violence

The Essecomplice signs were again brandished in front of the entrance of the Cergy business school. ESSEC students gathered Tuesday morning to denounce the inadequacy of the sanctions taken against two students suspected of sexual violence and, for one of them, rape. The meeting with management that took place on May 15 did not produce the expected results, according to them. "There is not too much disappointment because we expected it," says Cha, a fifth-year student, on behalf of the Jellyfish collective, which intends to continue to put pressure on the management of Essec.

"We have called for sanctions proportionate to the violence committed, such as permanent exclusion in cases of rape or sexual assault, with mention of the reason for exclusion in the educational file of the student in question. The management refused to reconsider the proportionality of the two sanctions," the collective said at its second rally.

The two students concerned were sanctioned with an exclusion, not permanently, but of one and two years. "It is inconceivable that rapists will ever return to campus and commit further violence," the collective said.

Sanctions against the two students will not be reviewed

"Management indicates that it is not possible to reverse the sanctions. However, according to our contacts with lawyers, there is an example, in Centrale Nantes, where it was aggravated and where the student in question was permanently excluded, "says Cha. However, she noted a breakthrough during the meeting on 15 May: "The management has undertaken to respect shorter deadlines for care and to respect the principle of independence of disciplinary and criminal proceedings."

The management of ESSEC did not have quite the same reading of this meeting where an agreement was reached on three of the four topics put forward by the students. "For the support of victims, a post and a half is devoted to this subject, a partnership is in place with the prosecutor's office and a specialized association, the information center on women's and family law," says Anne-Claire Pache, director of strategy and societal engagement at Essec. "We will also monitor more closely the application of precautionary measures by organizing one meeting per month to avoid bugs, and we agree to limit the duration of investigations to 6 months. Which is in everyone's interest. »

There remains a stumbling block, that relating to the two sanctions taken by the disciplinary council recently, deemed insufficient by the students. "The rules of procedure do not allow for an appeal against the decision of the disciplinary board, which is sovereign, legitimate and multi-party. It involves students, teachers and management. You cannot review your decisions. »