French singer Patrick Bruel faces rape charges as prosecutors seek detention for nine alleged victims

The charges

The public prosecutor of Nanterre has requested the opening of a judicial investigation against Patrick Bruel and his indictment for acts of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment concerning nine victims, committed between 2010 and 2019. The 67-year-old singer was taken into police custody on Monday morning, 8 June 2026, and questioned at the first district of the judicial police in Paris. His custody was extended by 24 hours and ends on Wednesday morning, after which he is to be presented to three investigating judges.

The public prosecutor has requested the opening of a judicial investigation against him and his indictment for acts of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment concerning 9 victims, committed between 2010 and 2019.

Scope of the investigation

The investigation, centralised by the Nanterre prosecutor's office, currently concerns 13 victims. It examines allegations from three women who reported sexual assault and attempted rape in 1997, 2000, and 2001. The probe also covers acts of rape or attempted rape, sexual assault, and harassment reported by other victims identified during the investigation. A formal complaint from Belgian authorities, following a 2010 rape and sexual assault allegation in Brussels by a woman then aged 40, is also part of the inquiry.

A widening case since 2019

Since Mediapart's revelations in May, around thirty women have told the press they were victims of Patrick Bruel. They report acts of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and sexual exhibition alleged to have occurred between 1991 and 2019 in France, Belgium, and Canada. The singer contests all the accusations. Questions are now being raised about why the first reports, which emerged in 2019, did not lead to more thorough investigations at the time.

I was struck by everything the justice system had in its hands at the time.

Marine Turchi, the Mediapart journalist behind the initial revelations, stated that after reviewing the 2019 procedure, she discovered nine women had come forward to the justice system, not four as had been publicly reported. Four of them reported acts that were not time-barred.

The singer's state of mind

According to friends consulted by BFMTV, Bruel had considered the possibility of being indicted, seeing it as a chance to finally access the case files and complaints against him. However, he never imagined the possibility of going to prison. One close acquaintance told BFMTV that if he goes to prison, even for a few days, he will likely experience it with humiliation. The singer arrived at the police station on Monday with humility, described as more combative and determined than ever. He can count on the support of his partner Clémence, his ex-wife, writer Amanda Sthers, and their two children, Oscar and Léon.

If he goes to prison, even for a few days, he will probably experience it with humiliation.