Former Paris deputy mayor 'charged with rape', say sources
The Local France - [email protected]
Published: 10 Oct, 2020 CET.
Updated: Sat 10 Oct 2020 09:18 CET
A former deputy mayor of Paris accused of sexual harassment by a co-worker was charged on Friday with rape and other sexual assaults, several sources said.
Pierre Aidenbaum, 78, stepped down as deputy mayor last month just weeks after another deputy mayor quit due to protests over his links to a known paedophile.
He was questioned by a judge on Friday and charged, a source close to the case who refused to be named told AFP.
A judicial source, who also wished to remain anonymous, added Aidenbaum had been banned from contacting any victim or witness, and cannot show up at city hall.
His lawyer Maud Touitou told AFP Aidenbaum had been "hit hard" by the accusations against him "and the suffering expressed".
Aidenbaum's resignation last month came after another deputy to Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Christophe Girard, quit in July.
Opposition politicians and women's groups had demanded his suspension over ties to Gabriel Matzneff, a writer who has never hidden his preference for sex with adolescent girls and boys.
Girard has since himself been accused of sexually abusing a minor in a New York Times report he has vehemently denied.
Aidenbaum remains on the city council despite his resignation as deputy mayor, but on Friday Hidalgo asked him to give up his seat "immediately".
Comments
See Also
Pierre Aidenbaum, 78, stepped down as deputy mayor last month just weeks after another deputy mayor quit due to protests over his links to a known paedophile.
He was questioned by a judge on Friday and charged, a source close to the case who refused to be named told AFP.
A judicial source, who also wished to remain anonymous, added Aidenbaum had been banned from contacting any victim or witness, and cannot show up at city hall.
His lawyer Maud Touitou told AFP Aidenbaum had been "hit hard" by the accusations against him "and the suffering expressed".
Aidenbaum's resignation last month came after another deputy to Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Christophe Girard, quit in July.
Opposition politicians and women's groups had demanded his suspension over ties to Gabriel Matzneff, a writer who has never hidden his preference for sex with adolescent girls and boys.
Girard has since himself been accused of sexually abusing a minor in a New York Times report he has vehemently denied.
Aidenbaum remains on the city council despite his resignation as deputy mayor, but on Friday Hidalgo asked him to give up his seat "immediately".
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.