According to an article in theExpress Thursday June 11, 2020, the Paris Court of Appeal ordered the reopening of the Darmanin case, accused by a woman of rape, sexual harassment and breach of trust. A decision going against the requisitions of the public prosecutor's office. Thus, the investigative chamber of the court of appeal found that the investigating judge "could not be based solely on the results of the preliminary inquiry" to file the file. The complaint was filed by the declared victim in 2018, and ended in dismissal. The magistrate in charge of the case had estimated that, always according to the newspaper, the alleged facts were not made up and that there was no need to open a judicial inquiry. The assault took place in 2009. At that time, Gérald Darmanin, then aged 26, was a project manager in the legal affairs department of the UMP. Sophie Patz, 46, asked him to intercede in a legal case concerning her.
Gérald Darmanin complains for "slanderous denunciation"
After a dinner spent together, Gérald Darmanin allegedly forced him to have sex in his hotel room, in exchange for his services. The facts were reported 9 years later by the complainant's husband, in a letter sent to the prosecutor. In response to these accusations, Gérald Darmanin has filed a complaint against Sophie Patz for "slanderous denunciation". According to comments made on BFM TV by Me Pierre-Olivier, one of the Minister's lawyers, the complaint would have been alone "intention to harm" to Gérald Darmanin, "because he became a minister". Me Mathias Chichportich, another lawyer for Gérald Darmanin, denounced in The Parisian a "gross attempt at political destabilization ". Allegations to which the complainant's lawyer had reacted "vehemently", outraged by such remarks.
A second accuser residing in Tourcoing, in the North, where the minister was mayor from 2014 to 2017, filed a complaint for "abuse of weakness", accusing Gérald Darmanin of having asked him for sexual favors in exchange for accommodation. The file was also closed without action by the Paris public prosecutor's office in spring 2018.