The French Justice archives a complaint of rape against the Minister of the Interior

24 Jan. () –

The Paris Court of Appeals confirmed on Tuesday the dismissal of the complaint filed by a 50-year-old woman against the Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, whom she accuses of having raped her in 2009.

Thus, the court has resolved the appeal filed last July by the woman, identified as Sophie Patterson-Spatz, against the verdict of a Paris investigating judge, who ordered the dismissal of the case.

The Paris attorney general, Rémy Heitz, confirmed the measure in a statement. A year ago, in January 2022, prosecutors had already ordered the case to be shelved. Since her appointment in mid-2020, Darmanin has been the subject of numerous criticisms, especially from the feminist sectors of France, according to information from the France 3 chain.

Patterson-Spatz, who filed the first complaint in 2017, has assured that he was a victim of sexual harassment and rape, although he did not decide to denounce it until Darmanin took office in the Government. As he has explained, Darmanin promised him help in legal matters in exchange for sexual favors.

The accusation indicates that she was “forced” to have these sexual relations since the now Minister of the Interior, who was then in charge of legal affairs for the Union for a Popular Movement party, abused his power.

The judge who addressed the case in July stated that “there was no doubt about the veracity of her story”, but also stressed that she had “deliberately decided to have sexual relations so that her case would be filed before the Justice”.

That’s why Darmanin, then 26 years old and wrote a text message describing himself as a “dirty jerk,” may have “misread his intentions despite admitting he was taking advantage of the situation.” .