“No child rapists paid by our taxes”, “Shame!
"," Pédo en commun "," Denial to the town hall of Paris "," No assistant to the culture of rape ".
These are some of the messages written on the signs brandished by about thirty feminists gathered this Monday evening in front of the windows of the town hall of the 18th.
While the district officials held their first back-to-school council, these women, members of several collectives, spoke in the street to demand the resignation of Christophe Girard from his mandates as councilor of Paris and councilor of the 18th.
The Monsieur Culture of Anne Hidalgo resigned from his post of deputy mayor (PS) of Paris on July 23 because of his links with the pedophile writer Gabriel Matzneff.
Since then, he has also been the target of an investigation for rape after the accusations of a former employee, who entered his service when he was a minor.
But Christophe Girard remains elected municipal councilor in the 18th and councilor of Paris.
"We respect the presumption of innocence"
“We are not doing justice, we are demanding justice.
We respect the presumption of innocence.
We are simply asking that elected officials accused of rape be suspended from their functions for the duration of an investigation, that they do not receive compensation.
It's called deontology, ethics, logic, ”denounces Amélie Hennes, founder of the Les attentives collective, which aims to defend women's rights through theater.
The demonstrators did not mention the case of Pierre Aidenbaum, the former mayor of the 3 rd who also had to resign from his post of deputy mayor of Paris in charge of the Seine after being questioned by a collaborator and currently under investigation for sexual assault.
He too is still a Paris adviser.
Paris (18th), Monday September 21, 2020. About thirty people waved signs under the windows of the town hall.
LP / Christine Henry
Should the elected officials questioned be deprived of their mandates and their allowances as the demonstrators demanded this Monday?
The question divides the Parisians questioned in the street.
“Elected officials must be exemplary.
Whenever there is any doubt about their behavior, they should resign.
It is not doing honor to the Republic to remain in a post when there is a presumption of guilt.
And then these two chosen ones have had their day.
It was the mandate too many.
Let them make way for the younger generation, ”argues Claude, an inhabitant of the 18th arrondissement.
"Avoid public lynching"
“They were elected and were not charged.
It is therefore up to them to make this decision with regard to their personal morals.
If they were men of honor, they would resign from their mandate as Paris councilor given the heaviness and importance of the accusations against them.
That's my opinion.
If they refuse, their constituents will make up their minds.
While waiting for these cases to be judged, let us beware of the vox populi and let justice do its work, ”tempers Christophe, a resident of the 16th district.
Christophe Girard affair: the fall of a Parisian cultural eminence
“Despite strong suspicions, these two elected Parisians should not be the object of a public lynching.
Whether or not they are guilty is up to the court.
While waiting for justice to be done, these elected officials are free to keep their mandate, ”recognizes Valérie, who lives in the 5th district.
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“Resigning could be seen as an admission of guilt.
It is therefore understandable that they do not.
But they could block their compensation on an account while waiting for all the light to be shed on their responsibility or not, ”suggests Pierre, in the 18th.
3415 euros net as Paris councilor
Questioned, the City specifies that “the mayor of Paris cannot withdraw the mandate of these two former deputies, because they were elected, nor therefore deprive them of their compensation”.
On the other hand, it was she who entrusted them with their deputy post from which they resigned.
The two elected officials, who received 4,500 euros net (with withholding at source and without deduction of the supplementary pension) as deputy mayor of Paris, will see their compensation increase to 3,415 euros as simple advisers of Paris.
On the other hand, if they do not present themselves to the Council of Paris, they incur financial sanctions.
The regulations provide for a reduction of 10% of their compensation in the event of unexcused absence at a plenary session, 20% at the second.
The deduction reaches 50% in the fifth and the Paris advisers only receive half of their compensation if they continue to dry up.
Christophe Girard, he was absent this Monday evening at the 18th arrondissement council.