Patrick Bruel, one of France's most famous showbusiness figures, has been placed under judicial investigation on multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse, marking the latest fallout from the Me Too movement. The 67-year-old singer and actor appeared before a panel of four judges on Wednesday evening after two days in custody in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre.
The judges confirmed the state prosecutor's request to place Bruel under investigation for several cases of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and harassment. A judge is now deciding whether to keep him in custody. Bruel has consistently denied all charges against him. Being placed under investigation means an examining magistrate will delve deeper into the allegations, and Bruel's lawyers will have access to the prosecution file. In most cases, this procedure leads to a trial. Under French law, rape is defined as "any non-consensual act of penetration."
Feminist campaigners reacted with satisfaction to the news. The case against Bruel comes at a time of heightened sensitivity in France regarding judicial treatment of sex offenses, following the murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna, whose suspected killer had been the subject of several prior abuse complaints. Alongside actor Gérard Depardieu, Bruel is the most prominent French figure to face sexual abuse accusations. Depardieu, 77, received a suspended sentence last year for sexual assault on a film set and has appealed the conviction.
Born Patrick Benguigui in Algeria in 1959, Bruel rose to fame in the early 1980s with songs like "Marre de cette nana-là" (Had enough of that chick). His strong voice and dark, brooding looks sparked a wave of "Bruelmania." He has also appeared in over 30 films and was recently performing in a theater production in Paris. His last performances there were canceled due to the allegations, as were most dates on a planned concert tour of France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada, which will now definitively not take place.
Bruel was previously the subject of a series of sexual harassment complaints, but they were shelved in 2020 for lack of evidence. In May this year, investigative website Mediapart reported that around 30 women had shared similar stories of harassment or assault, many occurring on film sets or backstage at music venues. Last month, well-known TV and radio presenter Flavie Flament joined the accusers, alleging that in 1991—when she was 16 and he was 32—the singer drugged and raped her at his Paris home. This case is not among the nine cited by the judges due to the statute of limitations, but the state prosecutor has asked that it and 12 other older allegations be reconsidered for possible inclusion.
Bruel has denied the allegations. According to French media, he recently told his "entourage" that "I may have been heavy-handed… but I always took no for an answer." In an Instagram post last month, the singer stated that he had never in his life "forced myself on a woman" nor "drugged, manipulated, or tried to subjugate anyone… nor used my fame to abuse or obtain non-consensual relations."
Source: www.bbc.com