The Minister of Solidarity is now the subject of a complaint for attempted rape. Is his place in the government threatened?
Does this complaint filed on June 27 with the Paris prosecutor’s office against Damien Abad sound the death knell? The Minister of Solidarity, Autonomy and People with Disabilities is accused by a centrist elected official of attempted rape in 2010. Facts not prescribed, recalled the complainant’s lawyer. She announced to Mediapart, this Monday, to have filed a complaint and to have put together a file to denounce the acts of the member of the government.
In office since May 20, Damien Abad must face this complaint but also the testimonies of two other women who accuse him of rape and sexual assault. Constantly challenged on the Abad case, neither Emmanuel Macron nor Elisabeth Borne mentioned a departure from the minister, preferring to rely on justice. Although at the top, the presumption of innocence has been put forward since the first accusations, the tide could turn. The media Politico raises doubts within the government. Quoting an adviser from the Elysée, he explains “the question of [son] maintenance (…) will arise well”.
The impossible defense of the government
The maintenance of Damien Abad would be complicated after the multiplication of testimonies, we breathe in the ranks of the president. On the ground, citizens are also wondering and do not hesitate to question the representatives of the State. Emmanuel Macron was vilified by high school girls during a trip to the Tarn. It was treated as “liar” by a young girl who reproached him for not keeping his promises concerning the fight against violence against women.
The same for Elisabeth Borne, in Calvados, during the interval between the two rounds of the legislative elections. A voter had asked her if she didn’t mind “that a man uses his stature as a man of power to obtain favours”. Elisabeth Borne answered yes “of course it bothers me”before recalling that she was not a judge and could not rule on this case as Prime Minister.
“Politically, he no longer brings in anything…”
The head of government may have to take a stand in the face of the urgency of the situation. “I don’t see how Borne doesn’t make it a hard point, he needs a few scalps”, explains a presidential party adviser to Politico. “Beyond even business, it takes up a big place, but politically, it no longer brings in anything…”, specifies the same adviser.
Elisabeth Borne must manage accusations of rape which hover over the head of Damien Abad, but also those which weigh on Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, the Secretary of State in charge of Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships. She is accused of gynecological violence in the exercise of her functions.