Mazan Mayor Threatened with Death: He Explains His Controversial Remarks on the Pélicot Affair

The mayor of Mazan had assured that &amp ;quot;after all, no one died” à about the Mazan rape trial. He files a complaint after receiving threatening letters and withdraws from public life for the time being.

His shocking remarks had caused controversy. While all eyes are on Avignon, where the trial of the Mazan rapists is taking place, Louis Bonnet, mayor of the town, had made controversial remarks in an interview with the BBC. “It could have been more serious”, or even “after all, no one died”, he had declared. Louis Bonnet apologized last week on Facebook: “I understand that these remarks are shocking and I am sincerely sorry.” An apology that was not sufficient since the mayor was targeted by several threats, as he explained to France Bleu Vaucluse.

“I have been threatened, I have been insulted. The last thing I was forced to file a complaint about was someone asking the town hall services for my address so they could raid my home with a group,” confides Louis Bonnet. He explains to our colleagues at Midi Libre that he has received “death threats” his encounter.

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His temporary withdrawal from public life

The comments of the mayor of Mazan were so shocking and provoked anger throughout France that he decided not to run for the last municipal council. Some opposition elected officials also decided to withdraw to demand his resignation. The council was also postponed until Monday, due to lack of the necessary quorum. Louis Bonnet does not intend to resign, however, and expresses himself with words that are always clumsy: “The bottom line is that at some point when our village is seen as a breeding ground for rapists, people have to step up,” he explains. “If there was a slip-up at Mr. and Mrs. Pélicot's, “that doesn't represent the entire village.”

In addition to these particularly inappropriate remarks, “there are several things that are piling up,” confides St&eacutephane Claudon, an opposition elected official in the commune. He mentions the case of the deputy school life and sports, who continues to perform his duties despite being sentenced three years ago to a one-year suspended prison sentence and five years of probation for assaulting a minor. In addition, two police officers have filed a complaint for harassment against Louis Bonnet. They denounce anonymous letters as well as the use of city cameras to monitor them “during breaks”, according to Le Dauphiné liberé. An investigation had been conducted in 2023, but without sufficient evidence. Complaints and reports continue to be filed by agents.