Under investigation since June 2022, Damien Abad has been indicted for attempted rape, charges that he has always denied. According to a source close to the case, the former minister was charged on Thursday 16 May with offences dating back to 2010

The MP for Ain, who belongs to the Renaissance group, has been granted witness status for two other rape charges dating from 2010 and 2011. In a statement sent to AFP, he expressed his belief that his ‘innocence’ would be ‘confirmed at the end’ of the investigations.

This indictment comes almost a year after the opening of a judicial investigation into his case. Abad had stated that he wished to be heard quickly by the judge to defend himself against accusations that he described as despicable and that he categorically refuted.

Brief ministerial experience

The former head of the LR deputies was appointed Minister for Solidarity, Autonomy and the Disabled in May 2022 by Emmanuel Macron. The day after his appointment, Mediapart revealed accusations of rape made against him in 2010 and 2011, which were dismissed in 2012 and 2017.

At the end of June 2022, a third woman, under the pseudonym ‘Laëtitia’ in Mediapart, lodged a complaint, leading to the opening of an investigation into attempted rape. She claims that during a party in 2010, Abad offered her a drink in which she noticed a suspicious substance. After spitting out the drink in the toilet, she was allegedly pushed by Abad into a room where he tried to perform oral sex on her. She managed to escape by punching him in the stomach.

Abad denies these accusations, arguing that he cannot force a woman to have sex because of his disability

‘My client’s accusations are consistent and supported by corroborating testimony, so this indictment was to be expected’, Mario Stasi, the complainant’s lawyer, told AFP.

Abad left the government at the beginning of July 2022. He was re-elected as a Member of Parliament the same year, but has since kept a low profile in the National Assembly.