Patrick Bruel avoids prison following his indictment for rape, assault and sexual harassment

Patrick Bruel was formally charged on Wednesday, following 48 hours in police custody as part of a sexual assault investigation. The 67-year-old singer and actor, who denies all the charges against him, avoided being remanded in custody.

A 48-hour period of police custody before being brought before a judge.

After being questioned by investigators from the Paris judicial police since Monday morning, Patrick Bruel was brought before investigating judges following the end of his police custody. He was being interrogated in connection with a case involving several accusations of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. During his questioning, the artist denied any criminal wrongdoing. He remains presumed innocent.

Indictment in several cases

The investigating judges have decided to formally charge Patrick Bruel in four cases, concerning alleged acts of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. In four other cases, he has been placed under the status of assisted witness. This decision marks an important step in the proceedings: being formally charged means that the magistrates believe they have serious or consistent evidence justifying the continuation of the investigation. It does not prejudge the guilt of the accused.

The prosecution requested pre-trial detention

The Nanterre prosecutor's office had requested that Patrick Bruel be remanded in custody. However, the investigating judges decided to place him under judicial supervision. Pre-trial detention was denied.

Nine victims are affected by the main requisitions

The prosecution's requests concern allegations involving nine presumed victims. The reported incidents span several years and allegedly occurred in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. Specifically, the proceedings target reported incidents such as a sexual assault in Grenoble in 2000, an attempted rape in Brussels in 2010, an attempted rape in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 2010, a rape in Dinard in 2012, a rape in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in 2015, a rape in Paris in 2019, a sexual assault and sexual harassment in Perpignan in 2019, sexual harassment in Ajaccio in 2019, and sexual harassment in Nyon, Switzerland, in 2019.

Older procedures also included in the file

Other proceedings, concerning older events, have also been added to the file. Some of these may be time-barred, but the investigating judges will have to verify whether the statute of limitations has actually expired. This information will also allow the magistrates to gain a comprehensive understanding of the reported events and their potential recurrence over time.

Patrick Bruel denies all the accusations. He has denied the allegations against him to investigators and maintains his defense. His lawyers are now assisting him in this new stage of the legal proceedings, as the judicial investigation aims to further the inquiries, hear from the parties involved, compare accounts, and determine the criminal consequences of the case.