Calling for "restraint" and respect for the "presumption of innocence", some 200 elected officials signed a platform of support for Gérald Darmanin, who was the subject of a rape accusation. Among them is the president of the Hauts-de-France region, the Republican Xavier Bertrand.
“We, the elected representatives of Hauts-de-France, […] once again wish to give our full support to Gérald Darmanin who is once again the target of disparate harassment, preferring to sanctify the arbitrary rather than respect the presumption of innocence, founding principle of French law ", declare the elected signatories, including deputies of the majority LREM and LR, mayors, municipal, departmental or regional councilors.
"Gérald Darmanin is a man [...] whose action has always been guided by a sense of state, general interest and service to his fellow citizens", assure these elected officials, including the two at the origin of the text, the president of the North department Jean-René Lecerf and the departmental councilor Marie Tonnerre.
LR and LREM support
These elected officials are mostly close to the former mayor of Tourcoing. We find in particular Senator LR Marc-Philippe Daubresse, himself targeted by an investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office, the former macronist candidate for mayor of Lille Violette Spillebout, the vice-president of the North and DVD mayor of Maubeuge Arnaud Decagny and several deputies.
“We are deeply shocked by the comments made (about Darmanin). All those who rub shoulders with him know that he does not resemble in any way the person nailed in advance to the pillory by demonstrators who, under the mask of a noble and praiseworthy cause that we support, do not stop stirring up maneuvers politicians, "they plead again.
They claim finally that "only justice can judge the charges of which he is the subject", while three court decisions have already been favorable to him.
Rape charge
Gérald Darmanin was accused of rape in 2017 by a woman, Sophie Patterson-Spatz, while he was a project manager in the legal affairs department of the UMP (now the Republicans party). The latter had asked him in 2009 to try to set aside his 2004 conviction for blackmail and malicious calls against an ex-partner.
According to his statements, Gérald Darmanin would have dangled his support in exchange for a sexual act. He then admitted to having had sexual intercourse with this woman, but according to him, freely consented.
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Initially closed down, this procedure was relaunched by the Paris Court of Appeal, which asked for new investigations at the start of June.
