After a first day largely devoted to the examination of the personality of Georges Tron, the Assize Court of Paris considered this Tuesday, January 26, the case of his former deputy at the town hall of Draveil, Brigitte Gruel.
The one about which we talk less, because she is obviously much less known than the former Secretary of State for the Public Service, but who is nevertheless judged for the same facts as the politician: "rapes" and "sexual assault" on two former town hall employees.
And who therefore incurs the same penalty, twenty years of criminal imprisonment.
To read also: Two years after his acquittal, Georges Tron retried for "rapes"
Monday, a psychologist had described a relationship
"deeply emotional"
between Georges Tron and Brigitte Gruel, while considering
"plausible"
that the latter were not lovers.
This Tuesday, the sixty-year-old spoke of
"a very great friendship, a very great trust and a very important professional relationship"
with the one who sometimes called her
"Bri Bri"
and that she persisted in vouvoyer.
"I have never been his mistress, I have never had intimate relations with him,
" insisted the native of Aveyron, whose husband came to testify at the end of the day, ensuring the court of their
" fusional love ”
.
At the town hall of Draveil,
"a number of people suspected a link"
between the two accused, for her part stressed the police officer in charge of the direction of the investigation in this case, specifying that Brigitte Gruel was nicknamed
"the Pompadour ”
because of
“ his presence and his influence ”
on the mayor.
Another nickname sometimes used:
"Gruella"
.
"I think I was perhaps a little too demanding at times,"
conceded the main interested party, who assured no longer aspire to
"a quiet life with [her] husband, [her] children and [ his] grandchildren ”
.
"I don't care about the accusers"
Speaking briefly about the charges against her, Brigitte Gruel said: “
I think this is all just a plot against Mr. Tron.
For me it's a personal, professional revenge.
I am innocent, I am innocent ”
, she repeated, depicting
“ ten years of hell ”.
This prompted Me Vincent Ollivier, counsel for Virginie Ettel, to ask her how, according to her, the complainants had lived these last years of proceedings.
“I don't care about the accusers, they hurt me so much… They had the support of feminist associations, me nothing, except my relatives.
"
To read also: Georges Tron judged on appeal: "It's been ten years that I explain that I am totally innocent"
Éva Loubrieu and Virginie Ettel, who will be heard on February 2 for one and on February 8 for the other, lodged a complaint in May 2011. During the investigation, they both described the same
"classic and perverse scenario. of the mayor ”
: sessions of plantar reflexology,
“ passion ”
of the elected official, which would have degenerated into non-consented sexual relations also involving the assistant to Culture, Brigitte Gruel.
At first instance, the Seine-Saint-Denis Assize Court ruled that
the
“scenes of a sexual nature mentioned by the plaintiffs” were
“proven
”
, but considered that the proof of a
“constraint”
had not been reported. .
The two accused were therefore acquitted.
Read also: Former Secretary of State Georges Tron acquitted of rape charges
Hence the appeal trial currently being held at the Île de la Cité courthouse.
If Éva Loubrieu has been attending since the opening of the hearing, Virginie Ettel is not present for the moment, which the president does not appreciate.
Me Ollivier may have mentioned the significant financial difficulties of his client and promised that the latter would be there from Friday, the magistrate insisted:
"I reiterate my request that she be there tomorrow"
.
This absence of one of the two plaintiffs, at such a high-stakes trial and when the facts are
“totally”
contested by the defendants, could have a devastating effect on the Assize Court.
"She will have to assume the consequences,"
warned the president.
