Former Sports Minister Jean-François Lamour, appointed in 2002, was recently accused by Sarah Abitbol, who solicited him at the time when she denounced the rapes of which she had been the victim, of having replied "we're going to stay there, ”when the skater called him to tell him about Gilles Beyer's actions. Jean-François Lamour, who also supports the approach of Roxana Maracineanu (she asked, this Monday, the resignation of the president of the French Federation of ice sports, Didier Gailhaguet), agreed to explain. Exclusively.
How do you react to accusations by Sarah Abitbol who claims to have called you to alert you?
JEAN-FRANÇOIS LAMOUR. I do not question at all what she says, but I have no memory of this exchange. Above all, if I had known of these horrors that I discover today, I would never have advised Sarah Abitbol to close her eyes. I would never have used terms like these, hence my question. For the rest, I reaffirm the position which has always been mine concerning the need to bring to justice absolutely unacceptable facts.
Have you read his book?
Not yet. I have read extracts from it. I understand his distress, I imagine him deep. I repeat, if she had had these words, I could not have answered her that we would stop there, as she writes. Marie-George Buffet had conducted an administrative investigation (note: in 2000, on other actions of Beyer) , it sent to the prosecution. We can only regret that the prosecution did not conduct further investigations at the time.
When you were a minister, you never heard of skating cases?
As soon as I arrived, the situation was confrontational. There were numerous dysfunctions in terms of governance, which led me to ask the sports management to appoint a new national technical director. Roxana Maracineanu made the necessary decision by withdrawing the delegation to this federation which visibly shows that there are still dysfunctions.
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Some people accuse you of having protected the leaders…
I never stopped putting the president in front of these responsibilities and, in fact, putting him in the obligation to resign (in 2004).
And Gilles Beyer?
I don't know this coach.
If Sarah Abitbol wanted to exchange with you, would you be ready to do so?
Obviously, if she so wishes, if only to resolve this misunderstanding.
