French singer Patrick Bruel faces rape charges

One of France's best-known showbusiness stars, Patrick Bruel, has been placed nether judicial probe connected respective counts of rape and intersexual abuse, successful the latest fallout from the Me Too movement.

After 2 days successful custody successful the occidental Paris suburb of Nanterre, the 67-year-old vocalist and histrion went earlier a sheet of 4 judges connected Wednesday evening.

They confirmed the authorities prosecutor's petition that Bruel beryllium placed nether probe successful respective cases of rape, attempted rape and intersexual battle and harassment. A justice is deciding whether to support him successful custody.

Bruel has consistently denied the charges against him.

Being placed nether probe means that an examining magistrate volition present look much profoundly into the charges against Bruel, whose lawyers volition person entree to the prosecution file.

In astir cases, the process results successful a trial.

Under French law, rape is defined arsenic "any non-consensual enactment of penetration".

Feminist campaigners reacted to the quality with satisfaction.

The lawsuit against Bruel comes astatine a clip of heightened sensitivity successful France astir judicial attraction of enactment offences, aft the execution of an 11 year-old miss called Lyhanna, whose suspected slayer had been the entity of respective anterior denunciations for abuse.

Alongside histrion Gérard Depardieu, Bruel is the astir celebrated French fig to beryllium targeted by accusations of intersexual abuse.

Depardieu, 77, was fixed a suspended condemnation past twelvemonth for intersexual battle connected a movie set, and helium has appealed against the conviction.

Born Patrick Benguigui successful Algeria successful 1959, Bruel roseate to fame successful the aboriginal 1980s with songs similar Marre de cette nana-là (Had capable of that chick). His beardown dependable and dark, brooding looks led to a question what was termed astatine the clip Bruelmania.

He has besides appeared successful much than 30 films, and was precocious connected signifier successful a theatre accumulation successful Paris.

Bruel's past performances determination were cancelled due to the fact that of the allegations, arsenic were astir dates connected a planned performance circuit of France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada. This volition present definitively not instrumentality place.

The vocalist was the entity of a erstwhile bid of complaints for intersexual harassment, but these were shelved successful 2020 for deficiency of evidence.

In May this year, investigative website Mediapart reported that astir 30 women had told akin stories of harassment oregon assault, galore of them taking spot connected movie locations oregon off-stage successful euphony venues.

Last period the accusers were joined by well-known TV and vigor presenter Flavie Flament, who alleged that successful 1991 – erstwhile she was 16 and helium 32 – the vocalist had drugged and raped her astatine his Paris home.

The Flament lawsuit is not among the 9 cited by the judges, due to the fact that the alleged transgression took spot excessively agelong ago. However, the authorities authoritative has asked that it and 12 different older allegations beryllium reconsidered with a presumption to imaginable inclusion successful the charges.

Bruel has denied the allegations. According to French media, helium told his "entourage" precocious that "I whitethorn person been heavy-handed… but I ever took nary for an answer".

In a station connected Instagram past period the vocalist said that helium had ne'er successful his beingness "forced myself connected a woman".

"Nor person I ever drugged, manipulated oregon tried to subjugate anyone… nor utilized my fame to maltreatment oregon get non-consensual relations," helium said.