PARIS, June 11 (Reuters) – French singer and actor Patrick Bruel, one of France’s top-selling recording artists, has been placed under formal investigation for rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and harassment from 2008 to 2019, the local prosecutor’s office said on Thursday.
Being placed under formal investigation means there are reasonable grounds to believe a crime has been committed and is a step toward going to trial.
• Bruel, who had faced allegations from several women from incidents that spanned 1997 to 2012, has publicly denied any wrongdoing.
• He is the latest high-profile French figure to face investigators in the wake of the #MeToo movement, after film star Gerard Depardieu was handed a suspended 18-month prison sentence last year for sexually assaulting two women on a film set.
• The 67-year-old was presented to four investigating judges on Wednesday for formal indictment.
• Investigating judges will also determine whether incidents involving 13 additional alleged victims between September 1992 and September 2008 are covered under statutes of limitation, French media reported.
• Bruel was released from custody under judicial supervision.
(Reporting by Leo Marchandon and Layli Foroudi; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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