The Paris prosecutor’s office requests a dismissal for Gérald Darmanin, accused of rape


The Paris prosecutor’s office on Wednesday requested a dismissal for the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, accused of rape since 2017.

The Paris prosecutor’s office on Wednesday requested a dismissal for the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, accused of rape since 2017, he told AFP on Thursday, confirming information from BFMTV. “We take note of this indictment of dismissal and await the final decision of the investigating magistrate”, indicated for their part My Mathias Chichportich and Pierre-Olivier Sur, lawyers for the minister.

In this highly politically sensitive case, which has already been the subject of long procedural disputes, it is now up to the investigating judge to take her final decision on a possible dismissal for the tenant of Place Beauvau.

The magistrate had placed the minister under the status of assisted witness in December 2020, before confronting him in March with the complainant, Sophie Patterson-Spatz, for nine hours. The latter could not be reached immediately for comment, nor could her lawyer, Me Yann Le Bras.

The complainant felt compelled to “go to the pan”

Since a first complaint in 2017, Sophie Patterson-Spatz accuses Gérald Darmanin of rape, sexual harassment and breach of trust. In 2009, the complainant contacted the elected official, then project manager in the legal affairs department of the UMP (ancestor of LR), to obtain support when she wanted to have a 2004 conviction for blackmail reviewed. and malicious calls to an ex-companion. According to her, Gérald Darmanin would have dangled her support from the Chancellery via a letter, in exchange for sexual favors which she would have accepted, feeling compelled to “go to the pan”, according to her expression in front of the investigators.

Key exchange of the file, on the night of December 17, 2009, Sophie Patterson-Spatz wrote him this SMS: “To abuse his position. “effort it took me to fuck with you. To take care of my file”. Less than two hours later, he replied: “You’re right, I’m probably a dirty idiot. How can I be forgiven?”.

Two simple complaints from Sophie Patterson-Spatz have already been dismissed, while an investigating judge refused in August 2018 to investigate following a third complaint with civil action. After long procedural disputes, the Paris Court of Appeal ordered in June 2020 the resumption of investigations. This file constituted a political ball and chain for Gérald Darmanin, criticized upon his appointment to the Ministry of the Interior in the summer of 2020 by many voices, in particular feminists. He filed a complaint for slanderous denunciation.

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