This decision is the fourth rendered in the favor of the Minister of the Interior in the case which opposes Sophie Patterson-Spatz since 2017.
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The decision can still be the subject of an appeal, but the chances of reopening the file seem very thin. Friday, July 8, an investigating judge of the Paris judicial court issued an order for dismissal in favor of the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, after five years of procedure in a case of rape complaint – Information revealed Monday by BFM TV.
“Justice affirms that no reprehensible act can be criticized for Mr. Gérald Darmanin, announced the lawyers of the Minister of the Interior, M es Mathias Chichportich and Pierre-Olivier on. Two decisions of classification without follow-up then two non-places orders intervened under the authority of four different magistrates, including two investigating judges. “
The alleged facts date back to March 17, 2009. That day, Sophie Patterson-Spatz, a former call girl, came into contact with Gérald Darmanin, then in charge of legal affairs to the Union for the popular majority (Party become since the Republicans). The young woman, criminally condemned several times between 2003 and 2005 for “blackmail”, “malicious telephone calls” and “threat of crime”, said to seek to obtain the revision of one of these criminal sanctions, pronounced in 2004. After Having explained her case to her, she assures that Mr. Darmanin would have promised her intercession in exchange for sexual favors. She would have given way – without obtaining anything.
procedural battle
Eight years after the facts, M Me Patterson-Spatz had decided to seize justice, considering having been the victim of rape, acts of sexual harassment and breach of trust. A first complaint, filed in June 2017, had been classified without follow -up, before a second, in January 2018, knew the same fate. In March of the same year, an investigating judge had been recipient of a third complaint, with the constitution of civil party this time, which she had refused to instruct.
After a procedural battle which had seen the Court of Cassation, then the investigating chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal to look into the file, justice had decided to reopen the file on June 9, 2020, less one month before the appointment of Gérald Darmanin, then Minister of Public Accounts, Place Beauvau. Several judicial sources had affirmed, at the time, that such a decision had not occurred due to new elements paid to the file but because the investigating judge had exempted from carrying out the slightest act of investigation and had not proceeded to the slightest hearing. The announcement of its maintenance in the government had caused controversy and demonstrations, organized in particular by movements and feminist associations.
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