Paris — A formal complaint of workplace harassment and endangering the life of a civil servant has been filed against the French Prime Minister’s services, following a series of tragic incidents that include a suicide attempt by the alleged victim. The signalement, or official report, was lodged with the Paris public prosecutor’s office on June 25, according to information confirmed by the affected employee’s lawyer on Monday, August 3.
The complaint, filed by a staff representative within the Prime Minister’s services, alleges “moral harassment” and “endangerment of others.” The primary victim is identified as a female employee of the Prime Minister’s correspondence service (SCPM). The legal action names four individuals as being implicated in the alleged misconduct.
Allegations of Systematic Humiliation and Isolation
According to the legal filing, the employee suffered a progressive removal of responsibilities, public humiliations, and demeaning comments. The report details a pattern of increasing isolation, which culminated in her being assigned to a basement office. This treatment is said to have led to severe workplace distress and a deterioration of her health, resulting in her hospitalization in April following a suicide attempt.
Her lawyer, Me Christelle Mazza, revealed to the AFP that the employee was physically restrained by a member of the public as she was about to throw herself under a train.
Two Suicides and a Suspicious Death Since October
The official report cites a deeply concerning pattern within the Prime Minister’s administrative services, noting two suicides, another suicide attempt, and one suspicious death—an individual found dead in the toilets—since October 2025. The document specifically references a colleague from the General Secretariat of the Government (SGG) who died by suicide on March 26 in a context of “identified workplace suffering.”
The staff representative’s report condemns “failures by the employer in its obligation to protect” staff and describes a situation of “presumed institutional moral harassment” within the services.
Political Turmoil Cited as Contributing Factor
Me Mazza’s accompanying letter points to the broader political context as a source of instability. It argues that the Prime Minister’s services have been “profoundly destabilized” since the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024 and the subsequent rapid succession of Prime Ministers and ministerial cabinets. The situation for administrative staff reportedly began to deteriorate in the autumn of 2024.
While the Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has 60 advisers working directly under him in his cabinet, the wider ecosystem of Matignon employs over 3,450 people. This includes autonomous entities such as the SGDSN and the DILA. These are managed by the Direction des services administratifs et financiers (DSAF), which is responsible for psychosocial risk management and has implemented support mechanisms like the “vigisouffrances” system.
Preliminary Investigation Opened
In response to the complaint, the Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a preliminary investigation, which has been assigned to the Brigade for the Repression of Crime Against Persons. The investigation will seek to determine the validity of the harassment allegations and whether the employer failed in its legal duty of care towards its employees.
