Categories: World News

Mayor of French town apologizes for his comments downplaying mass rape case


MAZAN, France — The mayor of a French town making headlines for the trial of dozens of men accused of rapes that occurred there over almost a decade has apologized for comments that appeared to downplay the case.

“I have been criticized for minimizing the seriousness of the heinous crimes of which the defendants are accused,” Louis Bonnet, the mayor of Mazan in southern France, said in a statement Thursday. “I understand that these remarks are shocking and I sincerely apologize.”

Dominique Pelicot, 71, told the court this week in the nearby city of Avignon that for nearly 10 years he drugged his wife and invited dozens of men to rape her as she lay defenseless.

In an interview with the BBC, Bonnet said the case could have been far more serious.

“There were no children involved, no women were killed, the family will have a hard time but they can rebuild. After all, nobody died,” he told the broadcaster.

Gisèle Pelicot, who was married to her husband for 50 years and had three children with him, has become a hero to many rape victims and a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France for waiving her anonymity in the case, letting the trial be public and appearing openly in front of the media.

Her ex-husband and the 50 other men on trial, who range in age from 26 to 74, face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

“This terrible story has deeply wounded our community,” the mayor said in the statement. “But I am fully aware that this wound is in no way comparable to the suffering of Gisèle Pelicot and her family.”



Source link

Recent Posts

Small plane crashes into Brazilian city, killing all 10 people on board

CNN  —  A small plane has crashed into an urban center in the southern Brazilian city of Gramado, killing all… Read More

6 hours ago

Will the Christmas market attack divide Germans further over immigration? | Crime

German authorities say the suspect supports a right-wing party.German authorities say the psychiatrist accused of a ramming attack in Magdeburg… Read More

6 hours ago

China says US ‘playing with fire’ by giving Taiwan more military aid

Beijing calls on the US to stop ‘dangerous moves’ that ‘undermine peace and stability’ in the Taiwan Strait.China has warned… Read More

11 hours ago

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,032

Here are the key developments on the 1,032nd day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Here is the situation on Sunday, December… Read More

19 hours ago

Inside the Final Days of the Assad Regime in Syria

As rebels advanced toward the Syrian capital of Damascus on Dec. 7, the staff in the hilltop Presidential Palace prepared… Read More

1 day ago

Is the US willing to take action against foreign powers fuelling Sudan war? | Sudan war

The conflict in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 12 million. US President Joe Biden is… Read More

1 day ago

This website uses cookies.