Aurane Reihanian, president of Jeunes LR, is accused of sexual assault by two women. While some, in his own party, demand his withdrawal, deny the facts and claim to be the victim of a political settling of scores.

His name had emerged on the media scene in 2017, with the use of an at least awkward expression about children born to assisted reproduction who “shouldn't exist”. Then, again in 2018, during the election for the presidency of the Young Republicans. At the end of the ballot, despite this exit, for which he apologized, and suspicions of fraud, Aurane Reihanian, close to Laurent Wauquiez, had ended up winning. But the young man is today accused of sexual assault by two women. Facts that he firmly denied on Thursday in an interview with Le Point . 

Touching in the late evening

The first accusation comes from a young woman of 20, who had told her story to Progress . She related last January facts dating back to 2018: according to her, Aurane Reihanian would have tried to abuse her at the end of an evening. A preliminary investigation had been opened; it is still in progress.

The second accusation has just been revealed by Liberation . The facts date back this time to 2017 and are similar: according to a young person inserted at UNI, a right-wing student union, the one who was not yet president of the Young Republicans would have put a hand on his buttocks at the end of the evening, the 'would have stuck against a wall and kissed by force. Before, a little later, to grab her wrist and say, "You, I'm going to rape you." The young woman did not file a complaint.

"Slanderous, false and fanciful" facts

In Progress as in Liberation , Aurane Reihanian denounced attacks aimed at harming him politically. In a statement on Twitter, the young man also said "strongly challenge the accusations made against [s] one". "I am innocent and in no way am the perpetrator of any offense." The facts are, according to him, "slanderous, false and fanciful". According to BFMTV, Aurane Reihanian is preparing to attack Liberation for defamation. 

Umpteenth article charged by Liberation against me. Worse, an accusation without proof and without complaint. In a democracy, only justice condemns or is innocent. Let everyone measure what it means to be wrongly accused. pic.twitter.com/xe8sjnN0V7

- Aurane Reihanian (@auraneReihanian) July 28, 2020

In an interview with Le Point on Thursday, the president of the Young Republicans said he was the victim of a "cabal". "I do not wish my worst enemy to go through what I am going through today. Let everyone imagine what it means to be wrongly accused," he said. Within LR, these affairs are causing a stir. The LR deputy of Lot, Aurélien Pradié, asked for Aurane Reihanian to be sidelined.