Jean Castex defends his minister. The Prime Minister denounced this Thursday of "inadmissible excesses", facing criticism concerning the appointment as Minister of the Interior of Gérald Darmanin, targeted by an investigation for rape, which criticizes him, a "manhunt".
“Mr. Darmanin has the right to respect for the principles of the Republic, like all citizens. We are witnessing abuses that are unacceptable, I say it here with solemnity and seriousness, ”launched Jean Castex during current affairs questions. The appointment to the government of Gérald Darmanin has for days been the anger of feminist movements and critics of a part of the political world, after having been accused by a woman of rape, which he denies.
Facts that date back to 2009
In a column published in Le Monde , a group of 91 "activists, intellectuals, feminist political women" write that "this reshuffle of the French government represents an anti-feminist political shift, whose scope goes far beyond the borders of France" and "reinforces the "backlash" against women, in violation of fundamental rights ".
Gérald Darmanin was accused in 2017 of rape by a woman, Sophie Patterson-Spatz, who requested it in 2009, when he was project manager in the legal affairs department of the UMP (party which became LR), in an attempt to to have his 2004 conviction set aside, for blackmail and malicious calls against an ex-partner.
According to his statements, Gérald Darmanin would have dangled his support for her and she would have felt compelled to "go to the pan", as she explained to the investigators. The one who is now Minister of the Interior admitted to having had sexual intercourse with this woman, but according to him, freely consented. Initially closed without further action, the procedure was relaunched by the Paris Court of Appeal, which asked for new investigations at the start of June.
"Symbolic violence"
Socialist senator Murielle Cabaret criticized the Prime Minister for her "unfailing support for the Minister of the Interior, without even waiting for the end of the legal proceedings". She pointed out what she considers to be "an ethical and political error of incredible symbolic violence", which would amount, in her opinion, to considering that "Mr. Darmanin is innocent, that the victim lies, in defiance of the principles of fairness of the contradictory and balance between the parts ”, while being said“ very attached to the presumption of innocence ”. Jean Castex replied that "it is not Mr. Darmanin (whom he) defends" but "the fundamental principles of the rule of law".
"It was in my soul and conscience that I made this proposal (to appoint Gérald Darmanin Minister of the Interior)," added the head of government. "Your intervention, madam, therefore supposes that I would have biased with my conscience, and that I do not allow you to say," he added to the senator PS. "If it were shown that I was wrong, I would draw all the consequences," said Jean Castex the day before in Le Parisien .
Society
Darmanin case: Interior Minister says he is "victim of a manhunt"
Justice
Castex government: Where is the rape complaint against Gérald Darmanin?
- Society
- Jean Castex
- Rape
- Gérald Darmanin