The former mayor of Saint-Maximin, a small town in the Gard, located a few kilometers from Uzès, was sentenced to twelve years in prison by the jurors of the Gard Assize Court. The people’s jury found him guilty of raping a city worker in 2014 while in office.
Until the end of his trial, the one who was mayor for nineteen years of this town of 770 inhabitants denied the rape. His lawyers notably pointed to the lack of opposition from the victim during this sexual relationship. She had filed a complaint nearly three years after the events.
“The difficult journey of the victims”
In Nîmes, the Advocate General mentioned at the hearing “the difficult journey of victims of sexual offenses”. The jurors decided to follow his requisitions and condemn the accused to 12 years of criminal imprisonment and ten years of deprivation of civic rights. The defense has announced its intention to appeal.