His word was eagerly awaited.
He had, until now, refused to speak.
The former boss of TF 1, Nonce Paolini, understands "the suffering" of women who accuse ex-presenter Patrick Poivre d'Arvor of sexual assault and rape, and claims not to have been aware at the time of the events alleged, in a program broadcast Tuesday evening by Mediapart.
"I want to tell them that their suffering cannot leave anyone indifferent and in particular me, neither as a man nor as a former leader", he declares in the context of a program which brings together in an unprecedented way 20 women who have testified before justice against PPDA.
Read also PPDA case: "I told him, stop Patrick, it's not okay!"
"I hope they will be able to obtain the possibility of having their case reviewed by the courts", continues Nonce Paolini.
The alleged facts span from the 1980s to the 2000s. At the time, “obviously we did not know.
If we had known, we would have taken the necessary steps and me first, ”he adds.
This is the first time he has spoken since the case was launched in February 2021.
If this had been known, "sanctions would have been taken", he says.
"You couldn't question the reputation of a company like that, listed on the stock exchange, listed on the CAC 40. It was an inconsiderate risk," he said.
Nonce Paolini was HRD of the first channel and CEO from 2008 (when PPDA left the presentation of the 8:00 p.m. news) to 2016.
“Someone behaved in an odious way with women”
“It is not a system that should be denounced.
There is no system, there is just someone who has behaved in an odious way with women in different contexts without anyone knowing it since these women did not speak out, ”added l former head of TF 1.
Mediapart underlines that "Patrick Poivre d'Arvor did not respond" to his request for an interview "under conditions similar to those proposed" to the witnesses.
He "disputes any violence, sexual or not, against the women who accused him", according to the words of his lawyer reported by the online investigation site.
VIDEO.
“He shoots himself in the foot”: one of the alleged victims of PPDA reacts to his complaint for slanderous denunciation
Seventeen women filed a complaint against PPDA, including eight for rape.
Sixteen of them, whose complaints were dismissed in June for prescription, are currently the subject of a PPDA complaint for "slanderous denunciation".
A judicial investigation is underway in Nanterre following the complaint with civil action by journalist Florence Porcel who broke the case in February 2021. At the same time, the prosecution is conducting another investigation into three other complaints.
In total, at least 27 women testified against PPDA in the press or in court, including two minors at the time of the alleged events.