An investigation for “moral harassment” was opened following the suicide by hanging Friday of the mayor of Rezé Hervé Neau (Loire-Atlantique), who had recently received malicious letters, announced the public prosecutor of Nantes. The body of Hervé Neau, mayor of this town of 42,000 inhabitants of the metropolis of Nantes, was discovered Friday inside the town hall.
“In view of the first elements gathered throughout the day on Friday”, the Nantes public prosecutor, Renaud Gaudeul, explained that he “considered it necessary to open an investigation of the head of moral harassment on Saturday”, confirming information from the regional press. The prosecutor specifies that he has entrusted this investigation to the territorial direction of the judicial police in Nantes, but underlines “not being able to communicate at this stage on the content of this investigation”.
He had left letters for his loved ones
On Friday, the magistrate said that the suicide of the elected was “no doubt”. The mayor of Rezé had “left letters for his relatives and instructions for the funeral”. The prosecutor had specified that the chief of staff of the mayor had also contacted the prosecution “three days” before the facts, in order to point out that the city councilor and “several members of his entourage” had recently received malicious letters “relating to essential to his private life and which may be considered as defamatory”. The city councilor had not finally filed a complaint according to the prosecutor.