Quotes of the Day

It's a summer of sex scandals in the heart of Europe — but be careful which heavy-breathing headlines you believe. German papers are full of allegations that Michel Friedman, a prominent Jewish leader, was one of 100 well-known men found to be frequenting Berlin prostitutes. (He has made no comment.) And the French are bewildered by events in Toulouse, where underworld figures have accused several local leaders of taking part in sadomasochistic orgies — and then ordering the execution of at least one witness who was preparing to expose them.

In May, convicted serial killer Patrice Alègre confessed to the 1992 murder of a transvestite, and claimed he'd done it on the orders of former mayor Dominique Baudis, now head of the agency that oversees TV and radio programming. Baudis hotly denied the charges, and last week, in a pulp-novel plot twist, Alègre recanted. The French media , which spent the past six weeks hounding Baudis, was left issuing pious but guilty-sounding reminders about the presumption of innocence and the risks of believing psychopaths. Baudis also faced down another accuser, a former prostitute who alleges having seen him at the orgies and says he tortured her during trysts arranged by Alègre. But Baudis has produced old agendas and travel documents indicating he could not have attended orgies on the alleged dates. "The next step is to find out why these people lied, and who inspired and orchestrated them," says deputy mayor Jean Diebold, who worked under Baudis. "Because this is a coordinated frame-up."

• BRUCE CRUMLEY | Toulouse
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