It is a program which is presented by the French media as a first since the beginning of the Patrick Poivre d’Arvor affair: around twenty women spoke this evening in the program “A l’air libre de Médiapart “.
The presenter, Valentine Oberti, explained to HuffPost that “che idea of this program was triggered by the announcement of the complaint for slanderous denunciation by Patrick Poivre d’Arvor against 16 women, which took place at the time of the broadcast of the Complément d’Enquête by France 2 “
Among these women between the ages of 23 and 68 who accuse the former star presenter of TF1 of sexual violence and problematic behavior, 16 testified openly on the set and two anonymously.
Florence Porcel, whose testimony in Le Parisien in February 2021 launched the PPDA affair, was present for the first time on a set since her statements. If the one who accuses the presenter of having imposed non-consensual sexual intercourse on her in 2004 and fellatio in 2009 did not wish to speak on the merits of the case – she reserves her word for justice – she wanted to emphasize that the complainants stand together today. “We have been in contact with each other for a few months now, getting to know each other. We have thus set up an association together, Metoomedias. It seemed important to me to show today that this group is now a united group and that thanks to that we unite. Despite the aggressiveness shown by the PPDA in the judicial field, it no longer scares us!
Also specific to this program: women told their stories for the first time in a media. This is the case of Margot Cauquil-Gleizes, a teacher, who accuses PPDA of having raped her when she was only 17 years old. She found him in his hotel room at a literary festival in Sète to show him his literary production. The presenter would then have raped her, “in five minutes no more”.
Another unpublished story with an open face in this program, that of Marie-Laure Eude-Delattre who accuses the star of having raped her when she was 23 years old.“What happened to me in 1985 was a surprise rape, something monstrous. I spent years telling myself that I was guilty, that I was stupid for having followed him into this room . But shame must change sides!”she explained before continuing,“I was a perky little trainee attracted by the light, who arrived in Cannes naive. I had only one idea in mind, it was to do an internship at Antenne 2, Patrick Poivre d’Arvor told me we could talk about it, but after a movie. After that movie, the 12:30 a.m. screening, I went to the Martinez with him…until the end I thought I was going to have a drink on a terrace to to have an internship at France 2. But I found myself in his room, he locked the door and then I saw him stark naked rubbing himself on his sofa. I told him that I was not there for that then I had a moment of amazement. I did not move, he took off my pants and my panties and he came back.
The former boss of TF1 reacts for the first time
In the second part of the documentary, the responsibility of TF1 is mentioned: many testimonies report that these rapes would have taken place within the editorial staff, in the presenter’s office. Former TF1 boss Nonce Paolini spoke for the first time since the start of the affair. In a video, the one who was HRD of the first channel and CEO from 2008 (date on which PPDA left the presentation of the 8:00 p.m. news) to 2016 claims not to have been aware at the time of the alleged facts.“Obviously we did not know. If we had known, we would have taken the necessary measures and me first. We could not question the reputation of a company like that, listed on the Stock Exchange , listed on the CAC 40. It was an unconsidered risk”, he shouts.
He then spoke directly to these women who accuse the presenter of sexual violence. “I want to tell them that their suffering cannot leave anyone indifferent and in particular me, neither as a man nor as a former leader”, he advanced before concluding, “I hope they will be able to obtain the possibility of having their case reviewed by the courts.“.