It’s an incredible story that is currently shaking the Élysée. An employee working for the presidential couple is suspected of having stolen around a hundred porcelain objects, used during official receptions. An ultimate betrayal on the part of this employee who worked within the palace… for almost five years. How do we finally recover from such a disappointment? Pascal Anger, psychologist, answers us.
More than a hundred precious objects were stolen
According to the first revelations of Parisian and from TF1info, the alleged culprit, Thomas M., silver butler at the Élysée, is said to have stolen, alongside his companion, Ghislain M., an antique dealer and porcelain collector for nearly 30 years, hundreds of porcelain plates and cups from the Sèvres Manufacture.
Both would have taken advantage of the special status of Thomas M. – responsible for setting the tables and managing inventories – to discreetly remove the items used during official dinners. In total, these disappearances would have spread over more than two years. An impressive loot, the value of which would amount to around 500,000 euros according to Canard Enchaîné.
However, the two friends were obviously a little too ambitious, because their “small” traffic was quickly detected and then reported. The two men, arrested in Loiret and in Versailles (Yvelines), have since admitted the facts.
“My client acknowledges the facts with which he is accused and has fully cooperated with the investigators.”explained Me Thomas Malvoti, Ghislain M’s lawyer, to TF1Info. “He is a young man of 30, with an atypical profile, HPI, keen on history and passionate about porcelain from the Sèvres Manufacture, he was even on the verge of writing a book on the subject. Unfortunately, he let himself be blinded by his passion and regrets it today.”
A disconcerting affair, especially since this man had enjoyed the trust of the presidential couple for almost five years.
How do you recover from such a betrayal?
If a large part of the stolen objects have already been recovered – and the apprentice thieves have admitted their wrongs – a feeling persists: that of bitter disappointment. How indeed can we understand such gestures, such acts, when we have so much?trust“?
According to Pascal Anger, betrayal is always complicated.
“We feel like we were deceived and made a mistake in hiring. We don’t really know why the person did this. This puts distance between us and each other, and we ask ourselves:
“What did I do to make him/her do this to me?“, specifies the expert.
The hurt here turns into personal pain.
“It can even lead to a loss of identity: who am I to the other? Why does he/she come to break into my home and into me?” relates the psychologist. “Indeed, we don’t want to believe that all our loved ones could act in the same way.”
Then, on a psychological level, the consequences of such a betrayal are multiple: we can lose self-confidence and ask ourselves… countless questions. How can we heal from our wound and not generalize this betrayal?
“In reality, we should not say that everyone will act like this. It is also necessary to think about the mistakes we may have made and which may have deceived us. What were our expectations of this loved one? Is forgiveness possible (in the case of the presidential affair, is the fault irreparable after five years of good and loyal service?)? Where are we ultimately?” continues the practitioner.
Strangely, betrayals can make us stronger, help us to love better and to better consider others.
“In these pivotal moments, it is essential to take care of yourself and self-repair.”concludes the expert.