Allegations of sexual violence are currently being made against two representatives of the government of French President Emmanuel Macron. A lawsuit is filed against Solidarity Minister Damien Abad, and a state secretary is accused of three counts of rape.
French Solidarity Minister Damien Abad has once again come under the spotlight of the judiciary for allegations of sexual violence. A lawsuit for attempted rape had been filed against Abad, the Paris prosecutor's office told the AFP news agency. The lawsuit is "currently under review". According to news website Mediapart, an MP accused the minister of trying to rape her at a party in his Paris apartment in 2010.
According to Mediapart, the woman was then the head of a youth organization of the "Nouveau Center" party, of which Abad was the national leader. Abad pushed her into a room and tried to force her to perform oral sex, said the woman, who was only called "Laëtitia" in the article. She fought back and punched him in the stomach. When another party guest showed up, she managed to escape.
It is the third case of sexual violence that Abad has been accused of. Earlier in May, two other women had accused the minister of rape. Official investigations have not yet been initiated. Abad denied the allegations and announced that he would file a false accusation lawsuit. "I will not let these mendacious and scandalous allegations go unchallenged," he said. The plaintiff's lawyer, Raphaële Bialkiewicz, then accused him of trying to "intimidate the other victims".
These are not the only allegations of rape against representatives of President Emmanuel Macron's government. Secretary of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships Chrysoula Zacharopoulou has been accused of three counts of rape during her time as a gynaecologist. The public prosecutor's office also investigated Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin because of a rape allegation from 2017.
