In Issy-les-Moulineaux, a prosperous city in the Hauts-de-Seine, the “André Santini affair” has been fueling discussions for several months. As The world had revealed, the mayor (Union of Democrats and Independents), 82, in office since 1980, has been targeted since 1er July by complaints from two of his former collaborators: Marc (his first name has been changed), ex-bailiff (2011-2020) and former chief of staff of the city councilor (2020-2022), and Pierre (his first name has been changed), its former bailiff (2019-2022).
On July 4, the Nanterre prosecutor’s office opened a preliminary investigation against Mr. Santini for “sexual assault”, “sexual harassment” and “moral harassment”. At this stage of the investigations, the brigade for the repression of delinquency against the person (BRDP) has not yet heard the former secretary of state for the public service (2007-2009), former deputy and current vice-president of Greater Paris and head of the Syndicat des eaux d’Ile-de-France since 1983.
The world became aware of a series of recordings taken between July 2021 and May 2022 by the two complainants, given to the investigators as part of their hearing and added to the file. In their complaint, the two young men depict a phenomenon “of bondage, control, submission and terror”and denounce “a real system of predation put in place” by Mr. Santini. They claim to have suffered “touching” on the part of the chosen one over several years, mainly on the lower buttocks, thigh and cheek.
“I want you to be close to me”
In his complaint, Marc recounts having been the victim of an attempted sexual assault by Mr. Santini, in 2021, in an elevator. “To protect themselves and provide proof of the words and behavior suffered”, Marc then decided to record conversations with Mr. Santini when he was alone with him.
The mayor is denigrating and intimidating: “I’m watching you all, it’s because you’re not smart after all, you lack the basics, you have to work all the timelaunched the mayor one day (…). Do what I tell you and shut the fuck up, whoever you are (…) Seems there are others to fire (…). I’m surrounded by assholes who know nothing, understand nothing », he said one day. In the complaint, Marc describes noises of “friction”which he presents as those of “caresses” of Mr. Santini on his ” leg “audible in the recording. “Don’t be embarrassed, don’t be afraid if you’re embarrassed, that’s why I want you to be near me, that’s all, because I’m going to prune more and more and there will be splashes (…). Why are you all so timorous? (…) Come here. I want you closer (…) closer is closer”informs him the mayor.
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