When the private life of elected officials affects their public mandate... Advisor responsible for hygiene and prevention, as well as animal welfare in Melun, Giovanni Recchia, former member of the Animalist Party, returned his delegations to the mayor at the beginning of January .
At issue: the prosecution of which he was the subject by his ex-partner who had filed a complaint on January 11 and 21, 2022 for repeated death threats.
Excerpts: “Die”, “You want war, you will have it, but you will lose with loss and crash”, “I am going to make you lose the little that you have and that you hold dear: your job, your house, your son ".
According to the deputy prosecutor of the Melun public prosecutor's office, domestic violence referent, "Mr. Recchia was not questioned for death threats, but for sending malicious SMS messages from January 8 to 12, 2022. He made the subject on October 3, 2023 = of a classification decision under conditions: not to come into contact with the victim for a period of 6 months and to complete a domestic violence prevention course”.
According to her, “In the event that Mr. Recchia does not complete the internship or does not respect the ban, he could be prosecuted before the criminal court for the alleged acts.
However, if the conditions are met, the file will be classified indicating that the internship has been completed.
The contact ban period is six months, this is the legal maximum.
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According to the Melun public prosecutor's office, Giovanni Recchia has already been the subject of dismissal in 2021 for harassment and sending malicious messages.
A case unrelated to the person who accuses him in 2022.
Contacted, the latter with whom he lived for approximately six months evokes a phenomenon of influence.
“If I talk about it, it’s for others.
I suffered too much and I don’t want this to happen to others.”
Aged 54, Giovanni Recchia does not dispute what he wrote.
“I assume.
For 48 hours I was annoyed, I admit.
When they take all your things…” The complaint he filed for theft and non-return of his prescriptions and treatments was dismissed.
But he warns: “I'm willing to acknowledge the things I've done, but that's it.
The hold on her, no.”
He now claims to have “cut short with this person” and wants to “move on”.
He said he himself proposed to withdraw his delegation.
“But I didn’t resign from the city council.
I have not committed domestic violence.
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Mayor Kadir Mebarek (Horizons) admits that he was unaware of the situation.
“I found out about it through a letter from MP Aude Luquet.
The next day, I received Giovanni Recchia.
This case did not result in a conviction, but in a criminal composition.
But given the facts which contradict the values we hold, gender equality, the fight against violence against women... I could not remain impassive.
He offered to return his delegation, which I accepted.
He remains a municipal councilor.
As he is elected, it is his free will to leave or stay.”
Contacted, Aude Luquet, also an opposition elected official, explained: “The victim having come to see me, I could only raise this problem with the mayor.
How can we vote on texts in Parliament, say we want to defend women victims and turn a blind eye when we are faced with this type of problem?
Question of consistency and dignity, of exemplarity, nothing else.
And certainly not a political matter.”