The municipality of Schaerbeek is shaken by a case that directly affects two members of its municipal College. According to RTBF, Alderman Ecolo for Gender Equality and Opportunities Sihame Haddioui has filed a complaint against Alderman Michel De Herde (DéFi), who manages the budget.
The alderwoman filed her complaint on Monday with the Brussels public prosecutor’s office, for indecent assault and sexism.
According to RTBF, the indecent assault dates back to October 2021, during a public meeting of the municipal council. The two aldermen were side by side and Sihame Haddioui assures that his colleague made an inappropriate gesture against him. According to the elected ecologist, the two members of the council would have, during the following meetings, changed places, at the request of the acting mayor Cécile Jodogne (DéFi), who was informed of the facts.
As for the sexist remarks, they would have been permanent according to the complaint of the victim. It should be noted that the latter, for two months, decided not to attend the meetings of the municipal college.
Michel De Herde says he is “surprised”
Michel De Herde see this “very surprised” by this complaint against him. “I don’t understand. Absolutely nothing happened of what Madame Haddioui describes. These are fanciful allegations. I am aware of the facts of which I am accused, but they are inventions, pure and simple, which do not “Happened somewhere other than in his imagination. Of course, I will defend my honor to the end. I have already hired a lawyer.”“
Michel De Herde goes even further and advances two reasons which could explain the complaint: “The first complaint filed against me, with the mayor, dates back to the end of February, a few days after our six-month budgetary marathon. I was rude to everyone regarding credit requests and in particular to her. Through this complaint, she may be seeking revenge or scaring me. The other reason? Perhaps, she thinks that I take up too much space within the Muslim, Belgian-Moroccan community of Schaerbeek. She wants to smear me, maybe try to gain popularity.“