SVP National Councillor Michaël Buffat to face trial on 23 November over alleged domestic violence

The charges

Michaël Buffat, an SVP National Councillor from the canton of Vaud, must appear before the Broye and Nord vaudois district court in Yverdon-les-Bains on 23 November. The indictment, written by Vaud Attorney General Eric Kaltenrieder, charges him with simple bodily injury, coercion, threats and deprivation of liberty. RTS also reports qualified threats and kidnapping among the offences, which could carry a prison term of up to five years if confirmed. The hearing is expected to last one and a half days, and both defendants are presumed innocent.

Allegations in the indictment

Prosecutors describe Buffat as jealous, possessive and quick to anger, and say he controlled and pressured his wife over a span of years. He is alleged to have insulted, humiliated, threatened, intimidated and harassed her, and the indictment also cites physical and psychological violence. According to the document, the woman regularly sought refuge at the Malley-Prairie women's shelter and later entered psychiatric treatment for complex post-traumatic stress disorder. She filed a criminal complaint in August 2024.

The wife's charges

The wife is also charged, and prosecutors say she behaved violently during arguments with her husband. The indictment alleges that in October 2023 she pressured him, under time constraints, to sign a divorce agreement and pay her 100,000 francs, and that she threatened to inform the media about the violence she had suffered if he refused. Accounts of the indictment differ on her charges: one lists bodily injury, while another also includes unauthorised recording of conversations and coercion.

Background and timeline

The couple married in October 2015, shortly before Buffat entered the National Council. Their marriage was marked by several separations, and they split for good in early 2024, with divorce proceedings still pending. The allegations became public through a Heidi.news report while Buffat was campaigning for the federal elections. By midday on 11 November, when Keystone-SDA asked for comment, Buffat and his lawyer had not responded to the allegations.