The Communist Party announced Thursday evening that it had asked one of its elected officials in Paris to withdraw, after accusations of rape and sexual assault targeting him, described as
"slander"
by the person concerned.
"We have just discovered on the social network Twitter public accusations of rape and sexual assault against Maxime Cochard and his spouse, members of the PCF Paris",
we can read in a press release from the Paris section of the party .
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The latter, who deny the facts of rape,
“both benefit from the presumption of innocence.
Justice must now shed light on these serious accusations
,
”he
adds.
"In view of our commitments",
"we (them) asked to withdraw from all their responsibilities of the PCF Paris",
and Maxime Cochard to withdraw from the Council of Paris.
Elected from the 14th arrondissement and councilor of Paris, Maxime Cochard and his spouse are targeted by a young man who claimed on Twitter to have been raped by them at the age of 18 when he was in a
"particularly vulnerable situation".
"I consider that they took advantage of my youth, of my naivety, of the fact that due to family problems I did not really have a place to sleep, of their responsibilities within the PCF to have sex. agreed with me ”,
writes the Internet user under the nickname“ Prunille ”, which indicates not to have decided
“ of the follow-up to be given ”.
Maxime Cochard quickly reacted in a press release, also posted on Twitter, in which he denounced
"a totally false accusation".
“Given the seriousness of such comments and their slanderous nature, I instructed my lawyer to immediately initiate legal action for defamation,”
said the elected official.
Contacted by AFP Thursday evening, Maxime Cochard did not wish to speak immediately.
His lawyer Fanny Colin, for his part, confirmed that the acts of rape were
"formally contested"
by his client and that an action for defamation had been initiated.
