Referred to by an accusation of rape, Gérald Darmanin can count on the "support" of some 200 elected officials, including the president of the Hauts-de-France, Xavier Bertrand, for the most part close to the new minister of the Interior. These last sign a tribune, Monday, 20 July, calling for "restraint" and to respect the " presumption of innocence ".
"We, the elected representatives of the Hauts-de-France, ( ... ), wish to once again bring all our support to Gérald Darmanin, who is again the target of acharnements heterogeneous, preferring to worship the arbitrary rather than respect the presumption of innocence, principle founder of the French law," declare the elected signatories, including mps of the majority LREM and LR, mayors, municipal councilors, departmental or regional.
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A minister "nailed down in advance pilloried by protesters,"
" Gérald Darmanin is a man (...) in which the action has always been guided by the sense of the State, the public interest and of service to his fellow citizens ", provide these elected officials, including the two at the origin of the text, the chairman of the department of the North Jean-René Lecerf and the advisor, departmental Marie Thunder. Among the supporters of Gérald Darmanin (LREM, ex-LR) are also included senator LR Marc-Philippe Daubresse, the ex-candidate macroniste to the city hall of Lille Violette Spillebout, the vice-president of the North and the mayor DVD Maubeuge, Arnaud Decagny, and several members of parliament.
" We are deeply shocked of the comments made (about Gérald Darmanin). All those around know that it's not at all like the person nailed to the advance in the pillory by demonstrators who, under the mask of a noble and laudable cause that we support, continue to stir up the politically motivated ", and argue matters they still. They claim, finally, that " only justice can judge the accusations which it is the object ", while three court decisions have been favourable.
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Gérald Darmanin has been accused in 2017 of rape by a woman, Sophie Patterson-Spatz, who had sought in 2009, when he was chargé de mission in the legal affairs department of the UMP party (became RL), to try to overturn his conviction in 2004 for extortion and malicious calls in respect of an ex-companion. According to his statements, Gérald Darmanin him would have dangled its support and she would have felt compelled to " go to pot ", as she explained to investigators. Gérald Darmanin has admitted to having a sexual relationship with this woman, but, according to him, is freely granted. Closed in a first time, this procedure has been revived by the Paris court of appeal, which was requested in early June for further investigations. "I'm quiet as a Baptist ", and has further assured Gérald Darmanin Saturday at the Voice of The North.
