Ex-Ubisoft executive on trial denies seeing office harassment
[BOBIGNY, France] A former executive at French video game giant Ubisoft, on trial with two others for alleged sexual and psychological harassment of employees, denied on Tuesday witnessing any abuse in the office.
Serge Hascoet, the company's former chief creative officer, said that he had been unaware of incidents that prompted several employees to complain of regular public humiliation and hazing.
He said he never heard any sexist or homophobic remarks or insults, but after hours of questioning admitted making some 'misplaced' comments with sexual connotations to women employees.
Overall, the atmosphere in Ubisoft's open-plan offices in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil was 'studious and focused on work', Hascoet insisted, although he said that 'water fights' did break out 'when it got hot'.
Hascoet, in his 60s, is on trial with the company's former vice-president of editorial and creative services, Thomas Francois, and former game director Guillaume Patrux.
All three were dismissed for serious misconduct following an internal inquiry in 2020, and all three deny the claims made against them.
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
Sign Up
Sign Up
Francois is the focus of the most damning claims of systematic psychological and sexual harassment over years, including watching pornographic films in the office and commented on women employees' appearance.
He allegedly forced one skirt-wearing employee to do a headstand and drew on her face with a felt-tip pen before forcing her to attend a meeting.
Francois is additionally being prosecuted for an attempted sexual assault.
Hascoet is accused of lewd behaviour and posing intrusive questions of a sexual nature, as well as racist comments and behaviour.
Asked about the felt-pen allegation involving Francois, Hascoet said: 'I don't remember that episode at all.'
When the court's judge asked about another incident, in which Hascet's company male assistant - known for selling drugs - brandished a knife to a woman employee, the ex-chief creative officer said 'I don't know' how the victim took the armed threat against her.
In Monday's hearing, several women who worked under Hascoet testified that he made them run personal errands for him, including picking up his daughter from school.
Hascoet said he was forced to give such orders because of lengthy meetings, and because his wife was suffering from incurable cancer. AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
40 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Israeli PM Netanyahu says ‘victory' over Iran yields ‘opportunities' to free Gaza hostages
A poster depicting an Israeli hostage hangs from a street light during a protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 26. PHOTO: REUTERS JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on June 29 that his country's 'victory' over Iran in their 12-day war had created 'opportunities', including for freeing hostages held in Gaza. 'Many opportunities have opened up now following this victory. First of all, to rescue the hostages,' Mr Netanyahu said in an address to officers of the security services. 'Of course, we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both goals,' he added, referring to his country's campaign to crush the Palestinian militant group. In a statement late on June 29, the main group representing hostages' families welcomed 'the fact that after 20 months, the return of the hostages has finally been designated as the top priority by the prime minister'. 'This is a very important statement that must translate into a single comprehensive deal to bring back all 50 hostages and end the fighting in Gaza,' the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said. Palestinian militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Of these, 49 are still believed to be held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas also holds the body of an Israeli soldier killed there in 2014. The forum called for the hostages' 'release, not rescue'. 'The only way to free them all is through a comprehensive deal and an end to the fighting, without rescue operations that endanger both the hostages and (Israeli) soldiers.' The Oct 7 attack triggered a fierce Israeli offensive to destroy Hamas and free the hostages. That campaign has killed at least 56,500 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable. Hamas's attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Trump says ‘getting along well' with China, downplays apparent hostile acts
US President Donald Trump says the US is getting along well with China, even though "they are paying substantial tariffs". PHOTO: AFP Trump says 'getting along well' with China, downplays apparent hostile acts WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on June 29 dismissed the importance of actions linked to Beijing that are deemed to be aggressive , including recent arrests of two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling a dangerous pathogen into the United States, saying 'that's the way the world works.' Mr Trump told Fox News that Washington behaves in a similar way. 'You don't think we do that to them? We do, we do a lot of things,' he said on the Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo show. 'That's the way the world works. It's a nasty world.' Mr Trump was responding to a question about how he viewed Chinese intellectual property theft, hacking of the US telecoms system and controversy around the Covid-19 pandemic. He likewise dismissed concerns over a case in which two Chinese nationals were accused in June of smuggling in a toxic fungus. Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, are charged with conspiracy, smuggling, false statements, and visa fraud. The US Justice Department said the pair conspired to smuggle into the United States a fungus called Fusarium graminearum that causes 'head blight,' a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice. Mr Trump downplayed this saying, 'you don't know where that came from, though. I mean, did that come from the country, or is that three wackos that happened to carry something?' Referring to the ongoing US-China trade war, Mr Trump appeared to signal he was satisfied, saying 'We're getting along well with China.' He added: 'I think getting along with China is a very good thing, but they are paying substantial tariffs.' This past week the White House signalled trade progress with China, with an official saying both sides have reached an understanding on issues including expediting rare earth shipments to the United States. After talks in Geneva in May, Washington and Beijing agreed to temporarily lower steep tit-for-tat tariffs on each other's products. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Trump says he has group of ‘very wealthy people' to buy TikTok
The US president has extended three times the deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US assets of TikTok. PHOTO: AFP Trump says he has group of 'very wealthy people' to buy TikTok WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview broadcast on June 29 that he had found a buyer for the TikTok short-video app, which he described as a group of 'very wealthy people' whose identities he will reveal in about two weeks. Mr Trump made the remarks in an interview on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo programme. He said the deal he is developing would probably need China's approval to move forward and he predicted Chinese President Xi Jinping would likely approve it. The US president earlier in June had extended to Sept 17 a deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US assets of TikTok despite a law that mandated a sale or shutdown without significant progress. A deal had been in the works this spring that would have spun off TikTok's US operations into a new US-based firm, majority-owned and operated by US investors, but it was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve it following Mr Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods. 'We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way,' Mr Trump said. 'I think I'll need probably China's approval. I think President Xi will probably do it.' A 2024 US law required TikTok to stop operating by Jan 19 unless ByteDance had completed divesting the app's US assets or demonstrated significant progress toward a sale. Mr Trump, who credits the app with boosting his support among young voters in last November's presidential election, has extended the deadline three times. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
