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Patrick Bruel Taken into Custody in Probe of Historical Sexual‑Assault Claims

His questioning on alleged incidents from the late 1990s to 2010 may prompt broader coordination with Belgian and French prosecutors.

Overview

  • Police took Bruel into custody on Monday as the Nanterre prosecutor’s office said the investigation now covers about 13 alleged victims.
  • Nanterre will question him specifically about three incidents dated between 1997 and 2003 and will raise a Belgian complaint filed on June 1 about an alleged 2010 Brussels assault.
  • Prosecutors have also transferred a 2012 Dinard film‑festival allegation to Nanterre so it can be handled alongside the other inquiries.
  • Bruel denies the accusations and his lawyers say he will cooperate with investigators; he has cancelled most of a planned tour and withdrawn from the Les Enfoirés charity lineup.
  • The probes follow investigative reporting by several French and Belgian outlets that published accounts by roughly 30 women and prompted at least eight formal complaints in May.