The former leader of the chain spoke for the first time in front of a camera since the start of the case in February 2021. He hopes that justice will be able to reconsider the dismissal of the case for limitation.
Support the victims but protect TF1. This is the line held Tuesday evening by the former boss of TF1: Nonce Paolini explained to understand « suffering » women who accuse ex-presenter Patrick Poivre d’Arvor of sexual assault and rape, again claiming not to have been aware at the time of the alleged facts, in a program of Mediapart.
« 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 says as part of a program that brought together in an unprecedented way 20 women who testified in court against PPDA. “I hope they can get the opportunity have their case reviewed by the courts,” continues Paolini.
At the time, « Obviously we didn’t know. If we had known, we would have made the necessary arrangements and me first., adds Nonce Paolini. If it had been known, “sanctions would have been taken”, he says. « We could not question the reputation of a company like that, listed on the stock exchange, listed on the CAC 40. It was an inconsiderate risk »said the one who was HRD of the first channel and CEO from 2008 (date on which PPDA left the presentation of the 8 p.m. news) to 2016. The alleged facts span from the 80s to the 2000s.
In November 2021, Nonce Paolini had already assured Freed that he was unaware of any of these facts and supported the plaintiffs: “I have no reason not to believe these women. There is no reason to believe that they have ganged up on Patrick Poivre d’Arvor. What would be their interest in doing this? It’s a sticky, sad and revolting affair. »
« It’s time to listen, to believe »
Tuesday evening, he concreted the security cordon between PDDA and TF1: “It is not a system that should be denounced. There is no system, there is simply someone who has behaved in an odious way with women in different contexts without anyone being able to know it since these women did not speak out.»
Mediapart points out that « Patrick Poivre d’Arvor did not follow up » to his interview request.under conditions similar to those offered” to witnesses. He “contests any violence, sexual or not, against the women who accused him”according to the words of his lawyer reported by the online investigation site.
The reactions were numerous on social networks in the wake of the broadcast of the special program on the online media site. « It’s time to listen, to believe and to stop these classifications without follow-up for insufficient evidence when the aggressor denies because those always deny « challenged the actress and director Andréa Bescond on Instagram while Florence Foresti greeted the « power » of “this image of women, united, united, together against violence”.
Seventeen women filed a complaint against PPDA, including eight for rape. Sixteen of them, whose complaints were closed in June for prescription, are currently the subject of a PPDA complaint for « slanderous denunciation ». A judicial investigation is underway in Nanterre following the complaint with civil action by journalist Florence Porcel who broke the case in February 2021. At the same time, the prosecution is conducting another investigation into three other complaints. In total, at least 27 women testified against PPDA in the press or in court, including two minors at the time of the alleged events.
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