The investigating chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal, in a ruling dated April 7, ordered François Asselineau to stand trial before the Paris Criminal Court on charges of sexual harassment and sexual assault against a staff member, as well as attempted sexual assault against another. This judicial decision, confirmed Tuesday by a judicial source to AFP, comes at a particularly sensitive political time: the president of the Popular Republican Union had launched his campaign for the 2027 presidential election at the end of March.
The case dates back to May and June 2020, when two of the politician's associates filed successive complaints against him. Indicted in 2021, Asselineau was granted a dismissal in December 2024 by the investigating judges, a decision the prosecution immediately appealed. It is this appeal that the investigating chamber ultimately ruled on in favor of the prosecution, thus overturning the initial decision.
A hierarchical authority at the heart of the alleged events
The charges are particularly serious: sexual harassment and sexual assault committed by a person abusing the authority conferred upon them by their position against the first complainant, and attempted sexual assault under the same aggravating circumstances against the second. The abuse of hierarchical power is thus a central element of the accusation, reinforcing the gravity of the acts brought before the criminal court.
The 68-year-old former presidential candidate has not publicly reacted to the decision. His lawyer, Pierre Darkanian, declined to comment immediately. The trial date before the Paris criminal court has not yet been announced.
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