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The former deputy mayor of Paris, however, remains elected to the council and municipal council of the 18th arrondissement.
This Tuesday, August 18, in a statement sent by his lawyer, Christophe Girard announced to withdraw from the Council of Paris. The latter nevertheless remains elected to the Council of Paris and to the municipal council of the 18th arrondissement.
"For the sake of serenity and the proper functioning of the majority within the Council of Paris, I proposed to Anne Hidalgo and Rémi Féraud, chairman of the Paris in common group, my withdrawal for the time of the preliminary investigation and to better defend myself, "said Christophe Girard.
This announcement follows the opening of an investigation for "rape" conducted by the Paris prosecutor's office against him.
As a reminder, his accuser, aged 15 at the time of the facts, had testified in the New York Times of several “abuses” of the French politician.
Aniss Hmaïd, 46, in fact told the American daily to have been trained by Christophe Girard as soon as they met in an abusive relationship that would have lasted almost ten years, leaving "lasting psychological wounds".
This Tuesday, August 18, the investigation was entrusted to the brigade for the protection of minors.
In his press release, Christophe Girard "contests these denunciations and these facts with the greatest firmness". Her lawyer also says she will pursue a "slanderous denunciation" lawsuit against the article. "The facts denounced being prescribed, the word of the accuser, against the word of the accused, is left to the appreciation of the court of opinion, where too often a presumption of guilt in matters of sexual offenses has taken. the step on the presumption of innocence ", she added.
Anne Hidalgo provides support to rape victims and is pleased with the opening of an investigation.
On Twitter, the mayor of Paris announced that she was "satisfied" with the opening of the preliminary investigation and wished to reaffirm "her unwavering support for all victims of rape and sexual assault".
At the end of July, Christophe Girard had already resigned from his functions of deputy for Culture at the town hall of Paris after being implicated in the Gabriel Matzneff affair, the writer targeted by an investigation for "rape of a minor under 15 years ".