French singer Patrick Bruel has been placed under formal investigation in several sexual abuse cases and released under judicial supervision.
French singer and actor Patrick Bruel has been placed under formal judicial investigation in several cases involving rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and harassment, after two days in custody in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre.
The 67-year-old performer, one of France’s best-known showbusiness figures, appeared before a panel of four judges on Wednesday evening. The judges accepted the state prosecutor’s request to move ahead with part of the case, while rejecting a request that Bruel remain in detention.
Bruel, who has consistently denied the allegations, was released under judicial supervision while an examining magistrate investigates further. His lawyers will have access to the prosecution file as the case proceeds.
Of nine alleged offences put forward by prosecutors, the judges formally advanced four counts involving rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. The rape allegation dates to 2008, an alleged attempted rape to 2010, and two other allegations to 2019.
The judicial supervision order bars Bruel from leaving French territory, contacting alleged victims or their family members, or visiting massage parlours. One allegation of sexual harassment involves a massage in Corsica.
Bruel addressed the accusations publicly on Instagram last month, saying he had never “forced myself on a woman” and had not drugged, manipulated or used his fame to obtain non-consensual relations.
The case lands during a period of intense debate in France over the handling of sexual abuse allegations. Bruel is among the most prominent French cultural figures to face such accusations, alongside actor Gérard Depardieu, who was given 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 prominence in the early 1980s and later built a career spanning music, film and theatre. His recent Paris theatre performances were cancelled because of the allegations, as were most dates on a planned tour across France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada; that tour will now not take place.
Previous complaints against Bruel for sexual harassment were shelved in 2020 for lack of evidence. In May, investigative outlet Mediapart reported that about 30 women had described similar accounts of harassment or assault, many tied to film locations or music venues. A separate allegation by broadcaster Flavie Flament, involving an alleged rape in 1991, was not among the nine allegations cited by judges because of the time elapsed, though prosecutors had sought review of older allegations for possible inclusion.
The next stage of the case now rests with the examining magistrate, who will determine how the investigation proceeds.
Comments (0)