Patrick Bruel in police custody: "I have never raped anyone", his denials to investigators
Paris Match publishes extensive extracts from Patrick Bruel's police custody interview, in which he has been charged with rape and sexual assault. He denies the allegations and cancels 35 concerts.
Patrick Bruel facing investigators: forty-eight hours of denials
According to Google News LU FR, the weekly magazine Paris Match published on Wednesday 3 September extensive extracts from Patrick Bruel's police custody interview, conducted on 8 June. The 67-year-old singer and actor was questioned in connection with accusations of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault relating to alleged incidents between 1992 and 2012.
During forty-eight hours of questioning, Bruel maintained an almost identical line of defence from one case to another: lack of recollection, questioning the credibility of the accounts and rejection of any sexual coercion.
A formula repeated dozens of times
Facing investigators, the singer repeatedly states: "I have no recollection at all", "that couldn't have happened", "it can't have occurred", "I don't even know what you're talking about" or "that scene never took place". According to Paris Match, these phrases appear dozens of times throughout the questioning, whilst thirteen women accuse him of sexual violence.
Bruel admits only that he may have been "clumsy", had "somewhat inappropriate language" or "lacked discernment about the other person's intentions". He maintains, however, that he has "never raped anyone" and has "never forced anybody".
The accusations detailed by Paris Match
The magazine provides details of several testimonies. That of Aurélie, a singer who came to play him demos in 2005 in Paris, then seen again in Lyon during an Enfoirés concert. That of Hélène, who accuses him of rape at the Dinard British Film Festival in 2012. And that of Karine Viseur, a Belgian press officer, for which Patrick Bruel has been charged with attempted rape.
On this latter case, the singer responds: "I have no recollection of that day and no recollection of touching her", before adding: "I would never place my hands between anyone's legs."
The testimony of Helena Noguerra
Among the material published by Paris Match is also the testimony of Helena Noguerra. The actress and singer filed a police statement in 2022 to support the complainants. She accuses Patrick Bruel of attempting to rape her in 2000, at the Paris Zénith, during the filming of a broadcast. According to her account, he invited her to his dressing room, kissed her without warning, then seized her by the wrists before laying her on a table, until she managed to escape.
Facing investigators, Bruel responds: "I have no recollection of that scene." He adds: "It's possible we kissed, I don't know. I certainly didn't kiss her by force (...). But I have no memory of it." He also states he has never "felt the slightest discomfort" during subsequent meetings with her. When contacted by Paris Match, Helena Noguerra confirms her testimony, but does not wish to comment further at this time.
The motivations of the complainants questioned
At the end of the questioning, investigators ask Bruel about the reasons that might motivate women to accuse him. The police raise the hypothesis of complainants seeking to "take revenge" for a physical interaction or professional collaboration that had not taken place.
The singer goes further in his explanation: "It's not just that. There may also be some who wish to reposition themselves at a specific moment in their career by putting themselves back into the spotlight, sometimes becoming a figurehead and thus becoming untouchable. I think I will have the opportunity to speak about this later."
Being charged and tears before the judge
The police custody ends on 10 June in the morning. Patrick Bruel is then brought before Nanterre judicial court, where he denounces before the judge a "media witch-hunt". In tears, he declares: "This media witch-hunt, even before I had the chance to speak, has been difficult, especially for my circle, the people who work with me, the hotel, for my children, my partner with whom I have been sharing a sweet and peaceful life for more than eight years, and for my mother."
Patrick Bruel has been charged in four cases, notably for rape and attempted rape, and placed under the status of assisted witness in four others. He has maintained his innocence since the initial accusations. On Tuesday, he announced he was cancelling 35 concerts scheduled from 2 October to 21 November.
Source: Google News LU FR