Patrick Bruel charged with sexual violence and released under judicial supervision
French justice has charged the famous 67-year-old artist with multiple alleged sexual assaults. The prosecution, which sought imprisonment, saw its request rejected by the judge.
Patrick Bruel charged with sexual violence and released under judicial supervision
The Paris prosecutor's office obtained the formal charging of Patrick Bruel on Wednesday evening for alleged rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment against multiple complainants. The 67-year-old performer was nevertheless released under judicial supervision, subject to a bond set at 500,000 euros, against the wishes of the public prosecutors who sought his imprisonment, according to France Info.
The investigation began with a two-day detention in custody, during which the accused contested all accusations levelled against him, according to information gathered by France Télévisions from a person familiar with the case.
The allegations covered in the investigation span nearly two decades. The investigating judge found two attempted sexual assaults in 2010, committed respectively in Brussels and Neuilly-sur-Seine. Three rapes are also alleged: in 2012 in the seaside resort of Dinard, in 2015 in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (Vaucluse), and in 2019 in the capital. The list also includes an assault in 2000 in Grenoble, another in 2019 in Perpignan accompanied by harassment, as well as two cases of sexual harassment in 2019 in Ajaccio and Nyon (Switzerland).
It was the Mediapart website that revealed the case on 18 March. Daniela Elstner, head of Unifrance, claims to have been assaulted and narrowly escaped rape in November 1997 during a film festival in Acapulco, Mexico. She was a 26-year-old woman at the time.
On the side of the civil parties, lawyer Myriam Guedj-Benayoun, who represents two women, said she was ready to "collaborate fully with justice". Her colleague Jade Dousselin described the decision as a "first victory" for the victims, paying tribute to the courage of Daniela Elstner, the first to break the silence.
Iris Biehler, counsel for other complainants, hailed "a strong signal" from the prosecution, believing that the judges had assessed the gravity of the alleged facts and the danger of repetition or interference with witnesses.
Another defence lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, was more critical on BFMTV: "How many female voices does it take for a celebrity to finally be brought to justice?"
The conditions of his supervised release are strict: prohibition from leaving France, contacting the complainants or their relatives, and entering massage establishments. Psychological monitoring is also required.
During his time in custody, three new statements for rape and attempted rape were filed by the offices of Guedj-Benayoun and Herrmann. Under the weight of the revelations, the artist had already cancelled at the end of May most of his summer tour — around a dozen dates in France, Switzerland and Belgium — as well as performances scheduled in December in Quebec.
The judge of freedoms, approached by the prosecution, ultimately opted for supervised release rather than remand in custody.
Source: Digi24
Source: Digi24