French official knew of Tariq Ramadan's 'violent' sexual encounters but failed to act The claims by Bernard Godard put the French authorities in a tricky position, as it suggests they turned a blind eye to Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan's alleged behaviour
A French official has admitted knowing Oxford professor Tariq Ramadan was "violent and aggressive" sexually, but denied hearing anything about rape.
Bernard Godard, who was considered the "Monsieur Islam" of the French Ministry of the Interior between 1997 and 2014, was well acquainted with Mr Ramadan, a prominent Islamic scholar and grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
When asked whether he had any knowledge of the rape and sexual assault that Mr Ramadan is now being accused of, Mr Godard insisted he had "never heard of rapes" and that he was "stunned".