Judge drops rape probe against French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin

A Paris judge on Monday ordered the dismissal of a five-year rape investigation into French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, his lawyers said.

“The justice system has said for the fourth time in five years that Mr Darmanin has not committed any punishable act,” Mathias Chichportich and Pierre-Olivier Sur said.

The decision in favour of Darmanin, a right-wing stalwart of President Emmanuel Macron’s government, can still be appealed.

The complaint was brought by Sophie Patterson-Spatz, who accused Darmanin of rape, sexual harassment and abuse of trust dating back to 2009.

Denials

While Darmanin admits having had a sexual relationship with the plaintiff, he denies any coercion.

Patterson-Spatz first went to police in 2017, but her complaint was filed without action by the Paris prosecutor’s office. She then lodged a new complaint with civil party in 2018, but the matter was not investigated because of insufficient evidence.

Finally, in June 2020, the Paris Court of Appeal had ordered an investigation into the accusations.

Prosecutors had asked in January for the case to be closed, and Darmanin has brought a defamation case of his own against his accuser.

The case has dogged him since he was named to the Interior Ministry in 2020, with feminists especially critical of his presence in one of France’s major offices of state.

The closing of the probe into Darmanin comes a week after Macron sacked solidarity minister Damien Abad, who is being investigated for attempted rape.

(with AFP)