Former minister Damien Abad, accused of sexual violence by three women, was indicted on Thursday May 16 in Paris for attempted rape in 2010 of one of them, Agence France-Presse learned ( AFP). The deputy (related to Renaissance) of Ain was placed under the more favorable status of assisted witness for the two other women, who accuse him of having raped them in 2010 and 2011.
In a press release sent to AFP, the former minister of solidarity, autonomy and disabled people assured that he had “no doubt” that his “innocence” will be “confirmed at the end” of the investigations.
The former leader of the Les Républicains deputies was appointed minister in May 2022, and constituted a political move to the right on the part of President Emmanuel Macron. The day after his appointment, the investigative site Mediapart relayed accusations of rape against him, dating from 2010 and 2011. The complaints were closed in 2012 and then in 2017.
But, at the end of June 2022, a new complaint was filed, leading to the opening of the preliminary investigation. Mr. Abad finally left the executive at the beginning of July 2022. In the meantime re-elected as a deputy for a third term, he has since remained discreet at the Palais-Bourbon.
