Following the conviction of the former TF1 presenter Vincent Cerutti, Hapsatou SyHis former partner, Hapsatou Sy, publicly took a stand in support of him. Although Vincent Cerutti was given an eight-month suspended sentence for biting a colleague's buttocks, she maintains that he is anything but a sexual predator.
In a message posted on social media, Hapsatou Sy, who is also the mother of Vincent Cerutti's children, states: "Never, ever imagine that I could one day disown this man. Why? Because I know who he is. And he is anything but what he is accused of being."
She adds : “I will never minimize the suffering of a victim. Never. But I will also never remain silent about a feeling of truth that I have a duty to express. It is precisely because I am a free woman and a convinced feminist that I dare to ask this question: what kind of society do we live in if nuance no longer has its place?”
Here is Hapsatou Sy's full message:
"To my community, many of you are writing to me tonight. Messages of love, messages that question me, that challenge me, and others that condemn me. I read them all."
The court has rendered a decision. I acknowledge it, as one acknowledges any court decision in a state governed by the rule of law.
But acknowledging the situation does not mean remaining silent.
So I will say one thing, just one, with all the clarity I can muster: never, ever imagine that I could one day disown this man.
Why? Because I know who he is. And he is anything but what he is accused of being.
The man I know, the one I've been with every day for years, is a devoted father, a man who has profoundly evolved, who has grown, found peace, and transformed. It is this man I will continue to support.
I have evidence and details that describe a very different situation from the one that was presented. The aim was to make an example of him, more than 10 years after the events. This evidence points to a reciprocal, shared, and consensual context that I witnessed firsthand at the time, in a friendly, informal setting.
Those who know me know that my commitment to women, my word, my integrity are non-negotiable. It is precisely because I am a free woman and a committed feminist that I dare to ask this question: what kind of society do we live in if nuance no longer has a place? The MeToo movement embodied a necessary, legitimate, vital revolution. But when this same movement goes astray, it is the true victims who pay the price. Those who fight every day to have their voices heard. I will never minimize the suffering of a victim. Never. But I will also never remain silent about a sense of truth that I have a duty to express.
In this story, there are victims.
Legal recourse exists. It will be used.
To those who comment without knowing, tomorrow it could be you. Welcome to this world where there is only one court: the court of public opinion.
And to feed him a little too, check out our story.
