Marc Sibard GUILTY of sexual assaults and harassment!

Marc Sibard, manager of the reputed Caves Augé shop in Paris, has been found guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault and sexual harassment and psychological harassment.

Always at the top of any list of ‘influential people in the wine industry,’ Marc Sibard has been one of the most powerful advocates for natural wine in France.

He has been at the head of the inimitable Caves Augé for over 30 years* and, in that time, has inspired, shaped and influenced a whole generation of consumers, sommeliers, winemakers but also, his employees.

* Edited to add: On Monday 10th July, I heard whispers through the grapevine that Marc Sibard may no longer be employed at the Caves Augé… but these are not (yet) confirmed.

* Finally: 31st August – it’s official. Marc Sibard has been fired.

An article on Marc Sibard in la Revue du Vin de France last month. The headline photo also comes from that same RVF article.

Enough was enough for several of those employees who went to the police and made accusations against him.

After close to five years of investigations, the case was heard at the High Court in Paris (Tribunal de Grande Instance) on 9th June 2017.

I was one of the plaintiffs. I worked at the Caves Augé and for the Lavinia group in 2011-12.

In my case, the charges were for two counts of sexual assault and for sexual harassment.

There are other two former employees, who also filed as “partie civile” and for them: further counts of sexual assault, sexual harassment and psychological harassment.

Four other female employees had told, during the investigations, of similar problems they had had with him – which either had been settled out of court or brushed under the carpet.

Today, July 6 2017, we found out that Marc Sibard has been found guilty on all counts; guilty of sexual assault, guilty of sexual harassment and guilty of psychological harassment.

He now has a suspended prison sentence, has to stay off booze for two years and will have a criminal record… but do you know what, right now, the details haven’t sunken in. All my brain can process is that he has been found guilty, that the case is finally over and, thank God, it went in our favour.

If you missed it, this was my (rather cryptic) blog post last month, musing about justice:

https://emmabentleyvino.wordpress.com/2017/06/17/how-do-you-get-justice/

And here is a post I wrote six months after the judgement about the after-effects of the case:

https://emmabentleyvino.wordpress.com/2017/12/28/a-self-imposed-time-out/#more-3360

Discover more from GOT LEGS

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

9 responses to “Marc Sibard GUILTY of sexual assaults and harassment!”

Patrick Bottcher

July 6, 2017

Yes !

Reply
1. Emma Bentley
  
  July 6, 2017
  
  Enfin 🙂
  Merci Patrick!
  
  Reply
dccrossley

July 6, 2017

Emma, I’m so pleased this turned out as you had hoped, and that he’s been found guilty. I can’t imagine the trauma you have suffered, both at the time and having to relive it for the trial, not to mention the worry that he might be found not guilty for something you know he was guilty of.

What happened cannot be erased, but I hope this conclusion will assist you in putting it behind you, as much as that is possible. May I just praise your courage.

PS I hope he was fired by Augé?

Very best wishes.

Reply
1. Emma Bentley
  
  July 6, 2017
  
  Thank you David. No, as it stands, he is still employed at Augé.
  I’m hoping however that this judgement (even if he appeals, so therefore at least another year) will make his position there untenable.
  
  Reply
David H

July 12, 2017

Congratulations on staying strong in the face of a “respected” figure in your industry.

Reply
Marc Sibard condemned – some reflections | Les 5 du Vin

July 18, 2017

[…] here and here the experience and thoughts of Emma Bentley, one of the plaintiffs. These are brave posts. I know a […]

Reply
roland lecarpentier

July 20, 2017

Your courage have been rewarded . All the wine trade did know , Lavinia is also guilty , and some vignerons complices ! Hope you will recover . As i finixh my next book , this story will take place in , with a “coup de gueule” against all those hypocrits who played the 3 monkeys

Reply
A Self-Imposed Time Out – Got Legs

December 28, 2017

[…] been more than 6 months since the judges found Marc Sibard guilty of harassment and sexual assault and more than five years since I handed in my resignation but I still have nightmares and recurring […]

Reply
Denouncing Sexual Violence – Got Legs

April 7, 2023

[…] The numerous testimonies are moving, corroborative, and IMO convincing. There’s also a sequence of events detailed in the article which is a little too familiar with my own experience. (Remember that?) […]

Reply