French singer Patrick Bruel indicted on rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and harassment charges involving nine women
The 67-year-old French singer was indicted Wednesday evening after 48 hours in police custody. Prosecutors have also requested he be placed in pre-trial detention.
The indictment
Patrick Bruel was indicted on Wednesday, 10 June, in the evening for rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment, the Nanterre prosecutor's office announced. The charges concern nine victims for acts committed between 2010 and 2019. Earlier in the day, the prosecutor had requested the opening of a judicial investigation and the singer's placement in pre-trial detention.
The prosecutor requested the opening of a judicial investigation against him, as well as an indictment for acts of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment concerning nine victims, committed between 2010 and 2019.
The 67-year-old artist was taken into custody on Monday, 8 June, and questioned by Paris judicial police investigators for 48 hours, the maximum period allowed in this case. He was then presented to three investigating judges on Wednesday afternoon.
The accusations
The first public accusations against Patrick Bruel date back to 2019. A woman identified as Sophie filed a report at a gendarmerie in Pietrosella, near Ajaccio in southern Corsica, on 13 August 2019, stating she wanted to leave a trace in case others came forward. Four complaints were subsequently filed but dismissed in 2020 due to insufficient evidence. In 2021, composer Ophélie Fajfer accused the singer of rape and sexual assault during a meeting in 2015 in the Vaucluse region; her complaint was also dismissed.
The case returned to prominence in mid-March 2026 with a series of revelations published by Mediapart. According to the news site, Daniela Elstner, the managing director of Unifrance, accused Bruel of sexually assaulting her and attempting to rape her in November 1997 during the French Film Festival in Acapulco, Mexico. On 15 May 2026, television presenter Flavie Flament filed a complaint alleging rape when she was 16 years old.
Before me, and this is what is particularly disgusting and provokes real indignation in me. Before me, there are women who, for months, for years, tried to make themselves heard. And it took the media coverage of my complaint for things to move forward.
The singer's defence
Patrick Bruel contests all the accusations against him and remains presumed innocent. According to TF1-LCI, a significant part of the hearings focused on specific accusations, including an alleged attempted rape in Brussels and in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 2010, as well as an accusation of rape in Dinard in 2012.
I remember very well my visit to Brussels and the conversation that followed with this woman. But I never assaulted her.
The singer reportedly arrived at the hearings with several files prepared to support his defence, including written testimonies and various material elements such as message exchanges with some of the alleged complainants or people in his circle. When questioned about older, potentially time-barred acts dating back to the 1990s and 2000s, he was more reserved, indicating he did not have clear memories.
The wider investigation
The investigating judges will examine complaints from nine victims for acts between 2000 and 2019. Three women accuse him of rape, two denounce attempted rape, two others report sexual assault, and the last two describe sexual harassment. The justice system will also study 13 additional complaints for rape and assault concerning older acts from 1992 to 2008, already time-barred. The prosecutor stated that these procedures will allow the judges to verify whether the statute of limitations has indeed expired and to gain a comprehensive understanding of the acts alleged against Patrick Bruel.
A wave of mixed feelings, of relief, of sadness, of hope.
The lawyer for two of the complainants, Ophélie and Karine, described her clients' emotions upon learning of the singer's referral to the investigating judges. The complainants include masseuses, singers, journalists, press officers, and actresses living in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. They describe a similar pattern of behaviour and violence.
Career impact
Patrick Bruel has already announced the cancellation of most of his upcoming tour, which was due to begin in mid-June in Paris before taking him to summer festivals. At the beginning of June, the last five Paris performances of the play in which he was acting were also cancelled. His last theatre performance took place eight days ago.
