Mayor of French town apologizes for his comments downplaying mass rape case

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Mayor of French town apologizes for his comments downplaying mass rape case

2024-09-20 20:22 Last Updated At：20:30

MAZAN, France (AP) — The mayor of a French town making headlines for the trial of dozens of men accused of rapes that occurred there over almost a decade has apologized for comments that appeared to downplay the case.

“I have been criticized for minimizing the seriousness of the heinous crimes of which the defendants are accused,” Louis Bonnet, the mayor of Mazan in southern France, said in a statement Thursday. "I understand that these remarks are shocking and I sincerely apologize.”

Dominique Pelicot, 71, told the court this week in the nearby city of Avignon that for nearly 10 years he drugged his wife and invited dozens of men to rape her as she lay defenseless.

In an interview with the BBC, Bonnet said the case could have been far more serious.

“There were no children involved, no women were killed, the family will have a hard time but they can rebuild. After all, nobody died,” he told the broadcaster.

Gisèle Pelicot, who was married to her husband for 50 years and had three children with him, has become a hero to many rape victims and a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France for waiving her anonymity in the case, letting the trial be public and appearing openly in front of the media.

Her ex-husband and the 50 other men on trial, who range in age from 26 to 74, face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

“This terrible story has deeply wounded our community," the mayor said in the statement. "But I am fully aware that this wound is in no way comparable to the suffering of Gisèle Pelicot and her family.”

India in control of first test after Bumrah takes 4-50 to help skittle out Bangladesh for 149

2024-09-20 20:27 Last Updated At：20:30

CHENNAI, India (AP) — Jasprit Bumrah took 4-50 to help skittle Bangladesh for 149 and give India a first-innings lead of 227 runs on Day 2 of the first test Friday.

On a day when 17 wickets fell, India was dismissed for 376 early in the morning session with Ravichandran Ashwin hitting 113 and later reached 81-3 at stumps — for an overall lead of 308 — having decided against enforcing the follow-on. Shubman Gill was unbeaten on 33 and Rishabh Pant was 12 not out.

In between all that, Bumrah ran through Bangladesh's lower-middle order in a fine all-round bowling performance by the Indians that bundled out the visitors early in the third session. Pacers Mohammed Siraj (2-30) and Akash Deep (2-19) weighed in with economical figures.

Shakib al Hasan’s 32 was the top score for Bangladesh, which slumped to 26-3 at lunch and couldn't stem the fall of wickets, losing two more quick after the resumption of play.

Siraj had captain Najmul Hossain Shanto caught at slip for 20 before Bumrah dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim in a similar fashion for 8, leaving Bangladesh at 40-5 after 12.5 overs.

Shakib and Litton Das resisted with a 51-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Das scored 22 off 42 balls, including three fours.

Spin then did the trick for India as Ravindra Jadeja (2-19) removed Das, who was caught at square leg by substitute fielder Dhruv Jurel. Jadeja picked up a second when Shakib was caught at short leg two overs later.

At 92-7, Bangladesh was staring down the barrel, though Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored 27 off 52 balls to save the team from complete embarrassment. He maneuvered the lower order to add another 57 runs for the final three wickets while also denying Bumrah a five-wicket haul.

India’s star-studded top-order faltered once again in the second innings.

Rohit Sharma was caught at slip for 5, unable to fend off extra bounce from Taskin Ahmed (1-17). Yashasvi Jaiswal chased a wide delivery from Nahid Rana and was caught behind for 10, while Virat Kohli scored 17 runs — and added 39 for the third wicket with Gill — before falling lbw to Mehidy Hasan (1-16).

Replays suggested an inside edge and Kohli didn’t ask for a DRS review despite India having a full quota of three reviews available.

Gill and Pant closed out the day without further damage.

Bangladesh pace bowler Hasan Mahmud earlier picked up his second straight five-wicket haul in India’s first innings, which saw Ashwin get to his sixth test hundred and a personal best at his home ground. After miscuing a pull to mid-off, Ashwin walked off to a rousing reception from his hometown crowd.

Resuming on 339-6 from overnight, India lost Jadeja early, caught behind for 86 off 124 balls. That ended the 199-run seventh-wicket partnership with Ashwin which had turned things around for India from a precarious 144-6 on the first day.

Mahmud finished with 5-83, becoming the first Bangladesh bowler with a five-wicket haul in India. It was also his second five-wicket performance in as many innings after he took 5-43 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Taskin Ahmed had figures of 3-55.

The second of two tests will be played in Kanpur and begins on Sept. 27, with three Twenty20 matches to follow.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket