Targeted by rape charges, rapper Lomepal played in Cannes

The French rap phenomenon Lomepal, under investigation for rape, performed on Sunday August 6 on the stage of the Electronic Beaches festival in Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes) despite certain calls for the cancellation of this concert. Lomepal, Antoine Valentinelli by his real name, was performing for the first time in public since the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed on Thursday that a rape investigation had been opened for facts which allegedly occurred in 2017. He had denied Thursday the rape charges.

During his performance in Cannes, hardly disturbed by the boos of a dozen feminists, the singer, black cap screwed on his head and T-shirt of the same color, made no allusion to his legal situation. Several thousand people, with a largely female audience, cheered him on his arrival and followed his performance, which lasted more than an hour, dancing on the beach where the stage of this festival is located. electro music.

The Family Planning 06 association (Alpes-Maritimes) and the We all collective, present in the aisles of the festival in a “Safe” space, had tried to have the Lomepal concert canceled, without success. “We asked for his deprogramming because his presence contributes to the culture of rape which minimizes sexual violence”, explained Camille Privat, prevention facilitator within Family Planning. "We hear the festival's inability to deprogram it, but faced with these contract problems, we would like that to change so that it does not happen again," added the young woman.

With a dozen other activists, they tried, at the start of the concert, to make their voices heard by booing the singer. They had covered their arms and legs with accusatory messages: "And the presumption of guilt?" or “Angry women, Lomepal on stage”. In a press release published this Saturday, the organizers of the festival had declared, faced with the will of the artist and his management to maintain his performance, wanting to "honor their contractual commitments".

"I like his songs, I came for the music and I give him the benefit of the doubt while waiting for the court's decision," said Juliette, 26, preferring to remain anonymous. “Between the man and the artist, I make an incredible difference, otherwise I will not listen to Gainsbourg”, also estimated Marie Leray, 30 years old, specialized educator. "He must benefit from the presumption of innocence, but if justice acts that there has been a problem, we will have to be careful," said Thomas Diop, a 30-year-old audioprosthetist.