Some 200 elected officials, mostly close to Gérald Darmanin, including Hauts-de-France President Xavier Bertrand, on Monday bring their “ support ” to the Minister of the Interior targeted by a rape accusation, calling for “ restraint ”and respect for the“ presumption of innocence ”.
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" We, elected officials of Hauts-de-France, (...) wish once again to give our full support to Gérald Darmanin who is once again the target of heterogeneous harassment, preferring to sanctify arbitrariness rather than respect the presumption of innocence, the founding principle of French law, ”declared the elected signatories, including members of the LREM and LR majority, mayors, municipal, departmental or regional councilors. " Gérald Darmanin is a man (...) whose action has always been guided by the sense of the State, of the general interest and of service to his fellow citizens ", assure these elected officials, both of whom at the origin of the text, the president of the North department Jean-René Lecerf and the departmental councilor Marie Tonnerre.
Among the supporters of Gérald Darmanin (LREM, ex-LR), also include Senator LR Marc-Philippe Daubresse, the ex-macronist candidate for mayor of Lille Violette Spillebout, the vice-president of the North and DVD mayor of Maubeuge Arnaud Decagny and several deputies.
" He looks nothing like the person nailed to the pillory in advance "
“ We are deeply shocked by the comments made (about Gérald Darmanin). All those around him know that he looks nothing like the person nailed in advance to the pillory by demonstrators who under the mask of a noble and laudable cause that we support never cease to stir up maneuvers politicians ”, they still plead. Finally, they demand that " only justice can judge the charges against him ", while three court decisions have already been favorable.
Read also: What about the rape complaint against Gerald Darmanin, appointed Minister of the Interior?
Gérald Darmanin was accused in 2017 of rape by a woman, Sophie Patterson-Spatz, who had requested him in 2009, when he was in charge of the legal affairs department of the UMP (party became LR), to try to quash his 2004 conviction for blackmail and malicious calls against an ex-boyfriend. According to her statements, Gérald Darmanin would have dangled his support and she would have felt compelled to " go to the pan ", as she explained to investigators. Gérald Darmanin admitted to having had a sexual relationship with this woman, but according to him, freely consented.
Initially closed, this procedure was relaunched by the Paris Court of Appeal, which asked for new investigations at the start of June. " I am quiet like Baptiste ", assured Gerald Darmanin on Saturday at La Voix du Nord .
