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Maureen Kearney

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Maureen Kearney
Kearney in March 2023
Born1956 (age 67–68)
Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland
CitizenshipIreland
Occupations
  • Trade unionist
  • language teacher
SpouseGilles Hugo

Maureen Kearney is an Irish whistleblower, a teacher of English, and trade unionist at Areva.[1][2][3] A union official of the CFDT, she was elected secretary of the European group committee of Areva in 2004. Later she alerted the press and politicians to the existence of a secret contract involving technology transfers to China.

On the morning of December 17, 2012, Kearney's home was broken into, after which she was bound, beaten and sexually assaulted. She was then left tied up in the basement of her home. She was later found alive by her cleaning lady.[4]

In the months following her assault, Kearney was subjected to brutal police custody. She admitted to making up the story and withdrew her complaint of "kidnapping, violence with a weapon and rape".[5][6] She was accused of making up the story and charged and convicted of fabrication.

Later she explained her confession by saying that her daughter and grandchild were threatened. She was subsequently cleared of the charge of fabrication.[7][8]

Family, arrival in France and union involvement

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Kearney grew up in an Irish family of trade unionists[9] where it was customary to say that everyone “has two hands, one to help themselves and the second to help others”.[10] Her mother campaigned for the release of Nelson Mandela in early 1990;[9] Kearney became a feminist in high school.[9] In the mid-1980s, she moved to the village of Auffargis, Yvelines in France with her husband Gilles.[3]

After the birth of their daughter, in 1987, Kearney was hired by Société Générale pour les Techniques Nouvelles (SGN),[3] a subsidiary of the Cogema group (later Areva), to teach English to technicians who were going to work outside France.[11]

Outraged at having seen young engineers fired without compensation,[3] she joined the CFDT, becoming its “figurehead” at Areva.[11][12]

Secretary of the Areva group committee

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Logo of Areva since 2018.

In June 2009, Maureen Kearney led an Areva delegation to the Elysées presidential palace. A sale of nuclear technology by Areva to China was later cancelled.[1][13]

Then in 2012 a new and secret contract was signed with China for the transfer of nuclear technology.[14] Kearney became aware of it via a whistleblower[15] and she became a whistleblower. (The prime minister François Fillon was made aware of the secret deal in 2011).[3] At first, when confronted with questions by the trade unions, the management of Areva denied the existence of such a contract.[16] Before and after the 2012 presidential election, Kearney and other trade unionists met government ministers and parliamentary deputies. Several deputies stated publicly at the time that they wanted a parliamentary commission of inquiry;[17] the government asked to “temporize, the time to carry out verifications”.[17]

Meanwhile, the press confirms and relays the alerts concerning the negotiations which persist with Chinese companies concerning an international collaboration for nuclear projects. On 27 September 2012, Le Nouvel Obs published excerpts from a draft bipartite agreement between EDF and its partner CGNPC. On 3 October 2022, Le Canard enchaîné published a note from the APE (State Holdings Agency), entitled “alert relating to a draft cooperation agreement between EDF and CGNPC”.[18]

2012: Intimidation, threats, rape and acts of barbarism

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Despite the support of her inter-union, Kearney was the subject of anonymous threats which she described to journalists from L'Express she met at the end of October 2012.[17] Her daughter told her that she felt that she was being followed.[3] On 20 November,[19] the Areva group committee unanimously voted a motion asking the CEO for the latest version of the tripartite agreement,[19] signed on 19 October 2012 between Areva, EDF and the Chinese company CGNPC, specifying that a refusal would constitute an offence of obstruction. He still doesn't get it.[clarification needed]

On 15 December, Ministers of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve and of the Economy Arnaud Montebourg were contacted personally by Kearney and responded to her messages.[20] The intimidation was repeated, forcing her to consult a psychiatrist and begin treatment.[20] A few days later, on 17 December, she was the victim of a brutal rape in her house, tied to a chair.[21] Her attacker threatened to murder her, telling her: “this is the second warning, there won't be a third”.[3] The housekeeper discovered her six hours later and wanted to call the police; Kearney refused, citing fears of reprisals. It was finally her husband who imposed the call.[citation needed]

The rape was reported the next day by Libération,[19] of which Lauvergeon chaired the supervisory board[19] and confirmed by the CFDT[19] and the Versailles prosecutor's office, which revealed ten days later that a letter had been engraved with a knife on the woman's abdomen.[22] The trade unionists of the CFDT meet the DRH so that it is protected as a whistleblower.[citation needed] Two days after the assault, Areva announced to AFP that it was filing a complaint against the newspaper,[19] which reported in a separate article on the concerns of the group committee.[19] Michel Toudret, CFDT central delegate from Areva confirmed to the press that the unions “fear technology transfers with China”[19] and that Maureen Kearney received threatening phone calls.[19] The union also asked the press “to observe the greatest reserve in the name of the right to the preservation of one’s person, relatives and friends”.[23]

2012: EDF industrial projects with China

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Lauvergeon was heard by the investigators on 20 December 2012[24] and on 26 December, Le Canard Enchaîné revealed that Montebourg commissioned an investigation by the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) on the draft agreement between EDF and the Chinese company CGNPC.[17][25]

L'Express revealed the same week that teams from EDF and the Chinese CGNPC continue to "work together", in Guangzhou, on "a nuclear reactor project competing with Atmea" (d' Areva) with “transfer requests” for part of its central architecture,[17] for which Areva would be seven years ahead of its competitors”.[17] L'Express specifies that the talks are progressing without Areva, whereas in February 2011 the French Nuclear Policy Committee (CPN) had decided: EDF can only join CGNPC with Areva28. The CEO of Areva replied on 30 December in an interview with the JDD that the “transfer of technology to China” will only be done “on a case-by-case basis”.[26]

Book and film

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Kearney is the subject of 2019 French book La Syndicaliste (literally The Trade Unionist) written by Caroline Michel-Aguirre, an investigative journalist for L'Obs.[27]

The book was adapted in 2022 into the French-language thriller of the same name, known in English as The Sitting Duck directed by Jean-Paul Salomé[28] with Isabelle Huppert playing Kearney.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Interview with Maureen Kearney on RTÉ". RTE Radio. 2023-07-08. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  2. ^ Hélène Guinhut dans (28 February 2023). "" La syndicaliste " : rencontre avec la véritable lanceuse d'alerte, Maureen Kearney". Elle.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Barro, Alexandra Ayo (22 August 2022). "Maureen Kearney : retour sur l'agression troublante de la responsable syndicale d'Areva". Femme actuelle.
  4. ^ "Tied up and mutilated after exposing a secret deal: An Irishwoman's harrowing ordeal". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  5. ^ "France: relaxe pour une ex-syndicaliste d'Areva, rejugée pour avoir mis en scène son agression". AFP. 7 November 2018.
  6. ^ Décision mercredi pour l'ex-syndicaliste d'Areva soupçonnée d'avoir mis en scène une agression. AFP. 6 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Hochberg, Juliette (25 February 2023). Maureen Kearney, véritable lanceuse d'alerte violée de "La Syndicaliste" : "J'avais peur dans chaque cellule de mon corps" (in French). Marie-Claire.
  8. ^ Article d'Anaïs Condomines et Vincent Coquaz le 6 mars 2023 dans la rubrique Checknews de Libération
  9. ^ a b c Vié dans, Caroline (3 March 2023). " "La Syndicaliste" est le point final à ce qui m'est arrivé ". Vingt Minutes.
  10. ^ Bourrier, Marine (23 February 2023). "Pour la lanceuse d'alerte d'Areva, Maureen Kearney, un éprouvant visionnage du film " La Syndicaliste "". Le Monde.
  11. ^ a b Anne Gudefin (26 October 2021). "L'agression - L'histoire vraie de Maureen Kearney, la syndicaliste". Radio France.
  12. ^ Misery, Aurélie (2 March 2023). ""La syndicaliste" : le rôle de la CFDT de Cherbourg n'apparait pas dans le film". France 3 Normandie.
  13. ^ "Pas de cession par morceaux de la filiale Transport et Distribution d'Areva, a indiqué l'Elysée", le 26 juin 2009 par l'AFP
  14. ^ "Pour la lanceuse d'alerte d'Areva, Maureen Kearney, un éprouvant visionnage du film " La Syndicaliste "" (in French). Le Monde.fr. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  15. ^ Bachman, Jean-Pierre; Misery, Aurélie. "La CFDT Areva recevait des informations en interne et ce n'est donc pas, comme le présente le film de 2023, un cadre d'EDF remonté contre Henri Proglio qui divulgue ce projet de rapprochement avec les Chinois". France 3 Normandie.
  16. ^ "Série " L'histoire vraie de Maureen Kearney, syndicaliste " par Noémie Landreau Épisode 2 : La justice" (in French). France Culture. 27 October 2021.
  17. ^ a b c d e f Julie de la Brosse (27 December 2012). "EDF, Areva et les Chinois, une mystérieuse affaire de nucléaire". L'Express..
  18. ^ Marie-Caroline Lopez (9 October 2012). "Mais que trame Proglio dans le nucléaire avec les Chinois?". LaTribune.fr. Retrieved 7 March 2023..
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i Christine Bertrand-Nielsen (19 December 2012). "Mystérieuse agression d'une syndicaliste d'Areva à son domicile". l'AFP.
  20. ^ a b "Mensonge ou agression en eaux troubles? Une ex-syndicaliste d'Areva au tribunal". l'AFP. 15 May 2017..
  21. ^ "Une syndicaliste d'Areva agressée, Libé attaqué". L'Express. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 2023-03-01..
  22. ^ Syndicaliste Areva: aucune piste privilégiée, la lettre A retrouvée sur la victime. l'AFP. 27 December 2012.
  23. ^ Claire Nillus (1 March 2023). "La réalité derrière la fiction". Syndicalisme Hebdo.
  24. ^ "Lauvergeon entendue dans le cadre de l'agression d'une syndicaliste d'Areva". l'AFP. 20 December 2012.
  25. ^ "Nucléaire : Bercy enquête sur un partenariat entre EDF et la Chine". Le Monde. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  26. ^ "Transfert de technologie vers la Chine : "au cas par cas" assure le patron d'Areva". l'AFP. 30 December 2012.
  27. ^ Serrano, Céline (1 March 2023). "Entretien avec Maureen Kearney, lanceuse d'alerte d'Areva dont le film "La syndicaliste" raconte le combat". France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine (in French). Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  28. ^ "Mayo woman's remarkable fight for justice in France features in RTÉ Radio One documentary". The Connaught Telegraph. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  29. ^ Hoad, Phil (23 June 2023). "Isabelle Huppert: 'When you're an actor, you keep secrets'". Retrieved 23 June 2023.
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