Former Vence mayor's grandson backs down over rape claims

Gabriel Iacono has told Nice Matin today that Christian Iacono, the former mayor of Vence, did not sexually assault him despite his earlier claims.

The elder Iacono, who presided over the celebrated Alpes-Maritimes town from 1989-2001 and 2008-2009, was sentenced to a nine year prison term in February, following a second trial at the cour d’assises (crown court) in Aix-en-Provence.

Yet Christian Iacono has always maintained his innocence, labeling the accusations as "total fantasy" during his first trial at the cour d’assises des Alpes-Maritimes in Nice in 2009.

Now, the younger Iacono has come clean and admitted that he is unsure of the identity of his attacker. Despite his confession, Gabriel denies that he lied during the trial, insisting that the rape occurred. The young man claims that he started to question what had really happened following the conclusion of the second trial. "I kept seeing the scene in my head and I no longer think it’s possible [that Christian Iacono was the attacker]," he explains. "Maybe I saw my grandfather in the place of somebody else. Then once you are in the judicial machine, you tend to always say the same thing," he added.

The revelations could see the 76-year-old former mayor face a re-trial. The implications for the younger Iacono should this happen are uncertain, with the judiciary possibly seeking to prosecute him for perjury if his grandfather is acquitted.

TD