The mayor of Mazan, Louis Bonnet, returned to his controversial comments regarding the Pelicot affair. With regret, he noted the consequences of his controversial interview with the British media BBC.
Shocking comments. For four weeks, the town of Mazan has been in the spotlight. The rapes suffered by Gisèle Pelicot moved all of France in this small town in Vaucluse.
The city’s mayor, Louis Bonnet, was asked numerous times by the media to comment on this historic trial. The latter made comments which caused a great outcry, particularly on social networks.
Indeed, speaking to the BBC on Tuesday September 10, he declared: “It could have been more serious, there was no child involved, no woman killed. It will be difficult for the family but they will be able to rebuild their lives. After all, no one died.”
A wave of threats
In an interview with Midi Libre on Friday September 27, the mayor detailed the consequences of his comments: “I receive death threats, you know.” For more than ten days, Louis Bonnet has been at the heart of criticism, reprimands and hatred on social networks.
For France Bleu Vaucluse, he clarified: “I was threatened, I was insulted. (…) I was forced to file a complaint because someone asked the town hall for my address to raid my home with a group.”
A few days after the video was broadcast by the American media, the mayor apologized via a press release from his town hall: “I understand that these comments are shocking and I am sincerely sorry. This is why I would like to apologize, particularly to the women hurt by the clumsiness of certain words spoken under pressure at the microphone of a foreign media.”
Placed for several days under the protection of the gendarmerie, the mayor decided to withdraw from public life in response to these threats. In addition, this prompted him not to run for the city’s municipal council this week.
Some elected representatives of the opposition requested the resignation of Louis Bonnet, as Stéphane Coulon, elected representative of the opposition, explained: “If I had been mayor, I would have done some interviews and above all I would have organized support for Gisèle Pelicot to show that Mazan has a soul and that the population is in solidarity with Madame Pelicot.
Apologies pronounced
The chosen one defended himself: “I broke down a little. It was an interview in the evening, in a neighboring village (…) there was a moment when I said something a little loud, a little inappropriate.” He then spoke under the pressure of around twenty microphones.
The mayor also questioned the journalistic work: “Once those who are responsible for making scoops have had a little bit that they like, it’s gone.” Before all the same regretting his words: “I should not have said them”.
