The end of a ten-year-old court drama.
This Wednesday, the Assize Court of the Paris tribunal sentenced Georges Tron, former Secretary of State in charge of the Civil Service under Nicolas Sarkozy, to five years in prison, two of which were suspended.
The mayor (LR) of Draveil (Essonne) appeared on appeal for acts of rape and sexual assault in a meeting on two former collaborators.
Brigitte Gruel is sentenced to two years in prison.
The 63-year-old councilor was criticized for having imposed touching and digital penetrations on them between 2007 and 2010, generally during threesome scenes with his then-Culture assistant, Brigitte Gruel.
This Tuesday, at midday, at the end of a three-hour indictment, five years in prison including three suspended sentences were requested by the Advocate General.
He asked that the two years in prison be carried out under an electronic bracelet.
The magistrate had also requested the registration of the two accused in the register of sex offenders.
Against Brigitte Gruel, the former assistant for Culture who would have participated in these "meetings", the magistrate had requested two years in prison.
"A mechanism of control" for the Advocate General
At the stand, the two accused had proclaimed their innocence and denied any sexual relationship with the complainants or even between them.
They had also been acquitted in 2018 by the Bobigny Court of Appeal (Seine-Saint-Denis).
In his defense, the elected representative wanted to address the court one last time.
“Whatever decision the court makes, these four weeks have been extremely tough.
They were first physically hard and because they forced you to go to the bottom of yourself, ”said Georges Tron, wearing a dark suit.
In January, the trial was suspended after the accused was contacted by Covid-19.
This Tuesday, during his indictment, the Advocate General wished to demonstrate the influence exercised by the two elected officials over the two victims who had lodged a complaint in 2011. “The influence is not a forbidden word […] This It is not a fad to speak of influence, it is a reality, it is a modality of constraint ”, he defined.
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“Yes, a control mechanism has been implemented by the two accused,” he continued.
While the counsel for the accused challenged the court.
“Whatever you decide, the image of Georges Tron will be irreparably compromised […] There is no longer any presumption of innocence” for this media man, assures Me Antoine Vey, who defends Georges Tron.
One of the victims explained that under the guise of foot reflexology, he touched her feet and made advances.
She then described more extensive massages after being hired at the town hall of Draveil, digital penetrations, caresses on the breasts.
