The two complaints filed in Paris by Claude Atcher, former director general of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, to denounce the conditions in which he was dismissed in October 2022, have been closed, AFP learned on Friday from the prosecution from Paris. Mr. Atcher had filed two separate complaints against
The first was closed on November 13 for unknown perpetrator, the second on November 30 for insufficiently characterized offense. According to Le Canard chainé, which announced the complaints, they targeted the “intense communication campaign” attributed to the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castera by Mr. Atcher, but also the conditions in which the testimonies to his subject were collected. When asked, his lawyers, Mes Emmanuel Moyne and Geoffroy Goubin, did not wish to comment.
The case began in June 2022 following an article in the sports daily L’Equipe revealing anonymous testimonies reporting an “extremely degraded working climate (…)” within the Public Interest Group (GIP) France 2023, with “deep social unease” among staff. This would include burnouts, resignations and anxiety attacks under the influence of “management by terror” exercised by Claude Atcher and his chief of staff. The Ministry of Sports immediately decided to refer “concerning elements” to the labor inspectorate.
On August 29, 2022, this ministry announced the “precautionary” dismissal of Claude Atcher for the time necessary for the conclusion of the Labor Inspectorate investigation. These revelations gave rise to two openings of preliminary investigations in Paris, one for influence peddling and corruption concerning “the contracts concluded”, “the ticketing” and “the vehicles made available” to Mr. Atcher, the another for “moral harassment”. On October 11, 2022, less than a year before the start of the World Cup, Claude Atcher, officially dismissed from his position, denounced “judicial and media relentlessness”.
