French gov't rules out resignation of budget minister over rape probe

PARIS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- French government kept confidence on Budget Minister Gerald Darmanin, who would not quit his post following a preliminary probe into alleged rape, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said Wednesday.

Asked by RTL radio if Darmanin was in difficult situation as he was facing renewed probe into rape accusation, Le Maire said "No," adding "I trust Gerald Darmanin."

"I have been working with him very well since the first day and I will continue to work very well with (him) at the economy and finance ministry," he said.

On Jan. 27, Paris prosecutor on Saturday reopened a preliminary investigation into allegedly rape by the minister after Sophie Spatz, the accuser, filed a new lawsuit this month.

An initial investigation was launched in June 2017. But the case was dropped a month later due to the "lack of offense" and the failure of response by Spatz to police summon for questioning.

The 46-year-old woman was accusing Darmanin, then mayor of Tourcoing, north France, of having raped her in a hotel room in 2009. The allegation was rejected by the minister who filed a complaint, alleging false denunciation.

The 35-year-old minister, who joined the ruling "Republic on the Marche" party last year, has been under pressure, mainly from his former party "The Republicans" to resign.

Sexual harassment and scandals involving French politicians have tainted the country's policial scene. In 2011, a sex affair forced ex-finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn to resign as head of the International Monetary Fund, and drop eventual plan to join French presidential race.

In the wake of the movie producer Harvey Weinstein affair which emerged in October 2017, France was mulling a law to fight sexual harassment on the streets as well as extend the statute of limitation for rape of minors. Enditem