Paris prosecutor investigates alleged bullying in government departments after suicide attempt

Lead

The Paris state prosecutor has opened a preliminary inquiry into alleged workplace bullying after the attempted suicide of a staff member in a department connected to the French prime minister's office, French public radio station France Inter revealed on Monday. The inquiry follows complaints made by staff representatives and comes amid reports of multiple suicides and suicide attempts within government services.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from The Guardian and the Jerusalem Post, both citing France Inter, offer slightly different scopes. The Guardian focuses on the prosecutor's inquiry and the broader instability within the French government following the dissolution of the national assembly. The Jerusalem Post narrows the story to the French Prime Minister's Service (SPM), which hosts some 50 secretariats, directorates, and missions at the Hôtel Matignon, and emphasizes the alleged workplace conditions.

Both outlets report that two SPM employees have died by suicide and several others have attempted suicide in recent months. The Guardian specifies that two government workers in different departments ended their lives in the past year, and two others attempted suicide. The Jerusalem Post indicates these events occurred over the past few months.

Key Claims

The Paris prosecutor has opened a preliminary inquiry after a staff representative filed a complaint in June. The complaint, made under Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which obliges officials with knowledge of crimes to inform the justice system, alleges "presumed institutional bullying" that led to a suicide attempt. The Jerusalem Post reports the complaint, filed after the attempted suicide of an employee identified as Laura (a pseudonym) in April, also alleges "exceptionally serious issues" concerning working conditions.

Three internal government inquiries have been opened into specific cases and broader workplace wellbeing. The Jerusalem Post reports that labor unions requested a meeting with SPM leadership in early June, after which an internal investigation into an employee's suicide attempt that had previously been stalled was approved. Unions also secured commitments to broader investigations into risks in all SPM offices, to be conducted by an external firm.

A staff representative told France Inter, as quoted by the Jerusalem Post: "All we want is to restart a healthy dynamic for everyone." The lawyer for the staff member at the center of the prosecutor's inquiry, Christelle Mazza, described how her client was made to feel invisible, no longer invited to meetings, removed from staff lists, and treated as if she was no one. Mazza said the client was "mocked and jeered at as if it was playground bullying, [she was] ostracised."

The Guardian reports that the difficulties for staff were compounded by the instability of governments after President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the national assembly and called a snap election in June 2024. In the two years from June 2024 to June 2026, there have been four prime ministers. Neither outlet reports on the SPM's response, nor any comments from government officials.