The investigation into attempted sexual assault opened this summer against the former head of civil security, Alain Thirion, was dismissed on November 15 for insufficiently characterized offenses, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced on Thursday, December 7. Agence France-Presse (AFP), confirming information from franceinfo.

A preliminary investigation had been opened after “a report of sexual assault alleged against Mr. Alain Thirion” and entrusted to the brigade for the repression of delinquency against the person (BRDP), the prosecution specified in August.

Alain Thirion was accused of having sexually assaulted a woman by entering her hotel room at night during the graduation ceremony for the new promotion at the Aix-en-Fire School. Provence at the end of June, sources close to the matter reported.

“He didn’t know which room he had entered.”

“It appears from the procedure” that Mr. Thirion “is (…) suffering from aggravated myopia”, specified the prosecution. “The statements are consistent on the fact that he did not know which room he had entered, in the middle of the night, while the door to his room had closed behind him when he wanted to go to the toilet,” detailed the prosecution at AFP. “No intention or action constituting a criminal offense” having been established, “the procedure was therefore closed” on November 15.

For Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard, Mr. Thirion’s lawyer, “it was obviously an expected decision given the total and obvious absence of an offense.” “But it is difficult to really rejoice about it given the consequences (…) both on a personal and professional level” for Mr. Thirion. “All this raises a certain number of questions which we will now look into,” she added.

Alain Thirion was suspended as a precautionary measure at the beginning of July from his functions as Director General of Civil Security and Crisis Management, which he had assumed in July 2019. His functions were subsequently terminated by the Council of Ministers. . He was replaced by Julien Marion.

In previous functions, as prefect of Haute-Corse from 2015 to 2017, Mr. Thirion had been accused of moral and sexual harassment by the sub-prefect of Calvi at the time, Anne Ballereau.

The judicial investigation opened following his complaint was dismissed in mid-July. The complainant has appealed this decision and the hearing must be held soon at the investigating chamber of the Bastia Court of Appeal, according to a source close to the case.