The new French government had served less than 48 hours when a scandal threatened to upset them: two women claimed in the Mediapart newspaper that they had been victims of sexual violence at the hands of the new Minister for Solidarity, Autonomy and People with Disabilities, Damien Abad the trophies from the right of President Emmanuel Macron for his new mandate.
Until a few days ago, the leader of the conservative party The Republicans (LR) sharply denied the allegations, which relate to events that happened a decade ago.
Although, according to the article, several officials from Macron’s La República en Marcha (LRM) and LR parties were made aware of the events leading up to Abad’s nomination last Friday, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, who is also new, said she was surprised by the news this Sunday.
“I discovered the Mediapart article yesterday [por el sábado], I have no more elements except that the case has been archived,” Borne told the press this Sunday. However, he assured that in his team – where another minister, Home Secretary Gérald Darmanin, has also been accused of sexual abuse in the past – he would allow “no impunity” in the past and announced “consequences” “If the Justice Act decides.
“I can assure you that we will take all the consequences of this decision as new elements emerge when the judiciary is reactivated,” he assured. The first Council of Ministers of the new government will take place this Monday.
“I will say very clearly: there must be no impunity on all issues of harassment and sexual assault, we must continue to act to allow women who may be victims of aggression or harassment to give their word that they are welcome if.” you make a complaint,” emphasized the first female head of government in France for 30 years.
Subscribe to EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without limits.
Subscribe to
Shortly thereafter, the accused made two statements to various media outlets, in which he “firmly denied” the allegations of having sexually abused at least two women.
“I strongly deny these allegations of sexual violence. I deny having used any form of coercion on a woman. I reject any abuse of power related to the functions I perform,” said Abad, who also asserts that all his sexual relations “have always been consensual.”
“Feeling drugged”
The events date back to 2010 and 2011. According to Mediapart, a now 41-year-old woman who she calls Chloé met Abad, 42, then an MEP, with whom she ended up having a drink. According to the woman, as soon as she drank a glass of champagne, she suffered a “blackout until the next morning,” during which she woke up in a hotel room next to Abad “in her underwear” and feeling “having been drugged.” .”
A second woman, Margaux, now 35, claims she was raped by Abbot in January 2011. This woman, who, like the current minister, is active in politics, after several months of exchanging text messages of “very insistent exchanges,” agreed to a meeting that ended, he assures, in a sexual relationship that of “Lack of respect, orders and insistence,” which said he suffered anal penetration, although he “firmly” refused “on several occasions.” The woman denounced Abad on two occasions, although the case was filed on both occasions.
Paris prosecutors have confirmed to Agence France Presse that they have received an initial rape complaint filed on April 6, 2012; just as a new complaint was dropped after a preliminary investigation on December 5, 2017 due to lack of evidence. The second complaint was filed months earlier, in the midst of the presidential campaign in which Abad was spokesman for Conservative candidate François Fillon. At the time, several media outlets repeated a complaint they linked to political interests, which was largely dismissed, in which they accused Abad’s disability of suffering from arthrogryposis, a muscle disorder that causes stiffness and abnormal muscle development in his arms and legs. The defendant also cites his disability as evidence that he would not be physically capable of abusing a woman.
The Observatory on Sexist and Sexual Violence, which monitors sexual abuse in the world of politics, asserts that it informed officials from La República en Marcha and Los Republicanos of the situation on May 16 without receiving a response. For its part, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office says that on May 20th they received a communication from the Abad Observatory that was being “analyzed”.
It’s not the first time a Macron minister has been accused of sexual abuse. The interior minister in the previous and current cabinet, Gérald Darmanin, has also been under investigation since 2017 for alleged rape and infidelity. Macron decided to keep him in office as he asserted his presumption of innocence. Finally, the case was filed earlier this year.
Follow all international information on Facebook and Twitteror in our weekly newsletter.