PARIS (Reuters) – Damien Abad rejected accusations of sexual violence on Sunday “with the greatest force” after the publication by the Mediapart site of the testimonies of two women accusing the new Minister of Solidarity and Persons with Disabilities of rape more 10 years old.
According to Mediapart, a first accuser recently seized the Observatory of gender-based and sexual violence in politics, while the other accuser filed a complaint for rape in 2017, which was dismissed.
The facts go back to 2010 for the first and 2011 for the second.
In a press release published on Sunday, Damien Abad, president of the group Les Républicains in the National Assembly until he entered the government on Friday, “contests with the greatest force these accusations of sexual violence”.
“I deny having exercised any form of coercion whatsoever on any woman. Finally, I deny any abuse of power related to the functions I have held. The sexual relations that I have had throughout my life have always been mutually consented. These accusations relate to acts or gestures that are simply impossible for me because of my disability, “adds the minister, who suffers from arthrogryposis, a disease causing joint stiffness.
Asked about the subject during a campaign trip to Calvados, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, whose government was formed on Friday, declared that she “was not aware” of these accusations before the publication of the Mediapart article on Saturday evening and promised to draw “all the consequences” if justice was again seized.
“I am going to be very clear: on all these subjects of harassment, sexual assault, there can be no impunity and we must continue to act so that women who may be victims of assault, harassment, can speak freely. “, said Elisabeth Borne.
“I can assure you that if there are new elements, if justice is again seized, we will draw all the consequences of this decision”, she added.
(Report Elizabeth Pineau, written by Bertrand Boucey, told by Jean-Michel Blot)