The famous French singer Patrick Bruel, who is already facing charges of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, had two new sexual assault allegations filed against him this week, local media reported on Saturday.
The two new charges against him were filed on Friday with the Nanterre District Court (just outside Paris), which is handling all the cases against the man who was once one of the biggest stars of French music in the 1990s.
One of the new allegations concerns an attempted rape and a sexual assault that allegedly took place in October 2007, during Patrick Bruel’s visit to the Réunion Film Festival, according to BFMTV, which confirmed a report by the investigative journalism website Mediapart.
The second complaint concerns a rape and a sexual assault that allegedly took place in May 2012.
These cases come on top of the numerous complaints and public accusations that have emerged against Bruel since last April, although in some cases the statute of limitations has expired and the cases cannot be prosecuted.
The 67-year-old actor was held in pretrial detention from Monday through Wednesday night, when he appeared before an investigating judge.
Following the interrogation, he was charged in connection with four of the 13 complaints that the court was reviewing against the singer of hits such as “Casser la voix.”
In addition to seeking charges against Bruel, the prosecution had requested that he remain in pretrial detention, but the court opted to release him under judicial supervision.
The conditions imposed on him include not leaving the country, surrendering his passport, not to contact the victims or their family members, not to go to the victims’ homes, not to frequent massage parlors, to provide proof of psychological treatment, and to post a bond of 500,000 euros.
Bruel, for his part, denies the allegations and, through his lawyers, had stated that he was “at the disposal of the courts” to answer “all the investigators’ questions” and that he intended to provide “all the necessary evidence to prove his innocence.”
Last week, Bruel canceled the Paris performances of the play *Deuxième Partie* (Part Two), in which he starred.
On May 29, he had also announced the cancellation of all his concerts scheduled through September, including those at various festivals and three performances in Paris, citing the need for “peace of mind” due to the ongoing legal investigations against him, according to Agencia EFE.