MR politician Maxime Daye has said he will remain mayor of Braine-Le-Comte despite being charged with child sex offences.
Earlier this week, the Mons public prosecutor’s office announced that Daye, 42, had been charged with trying to engage a child in sexual activity (incitation à la débauche d'un mineur) and sending pornographic videos to a child.
The alleged offences occurred in the summer of 2024 and are said to relate to a single child.
The allegations against Daye first became public in April. When the news broke, representatives of the PS and Greens called for Daye to resign as mayor in order to “preserve the serenity of democratic debate and the smooth running of our institution”.
However, Daye refused to resign, claiming he was the victim of a “witch hunt”.
Doubling down
This week, the PS and Greens reiterated their calls for the mayor’s resignation, but Daye appears to have doubled down.
In a Facebook post published yesterday, he said that he would remain as mayor, but delegate his responsibilities to the city council, which will be entrusted with the day-to-day management of the city.
He said: “Aware of the emotion aroused and in a spirit of responsibility, I have decided, in consultation with my close relations, my group and the majority, to delegate the representation of the city to my colleagues on the city council.
"I want to make it clear: an indictment is not a conviction. I look forward to being able to explain myself fully, within the framework provided by the law."
A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office told the Belga News Agency: "At this stage of the proceedings, the person concerned is presumed innocent. The investigation is continuing. It is in everyone's interest that it should be able to proceed serenely, based on proven facts and protected from any untimely rumours."
In addition to being mayor of Braine-Le-Comte, Daye has been an MP in the Walloon Parliament since 2024.
