Newly appointed Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin had been prey to legal proceedings. Where are they?
Three months, almost to the day, after his departure, Gérald Darmanin is back in government. This time, the former Minister of the Interior will not set down his suitcases again at Place Beauvau or at Bercy, but in another iconic place in Paris: Place Vendôme. It is here, among the luxury boutiques, that the Ministry of Justice is located. Exit the ephemeral and discreet Didier Migaud, Gérald Darmanin managed to overtake, in the home straight, Xavier Bertrand to become Keeper of the Seals.
This appointment is not without its challenges since the man who was the “first cop in France” for four years was prey to legal disputes. The new boss of the Chancellery was targeted in two cases: accusations of rape and harassment filed in 2017, then accusations of abuse of weakness filed in 2018.
A final judgment recently rendered
In the first case, the new Minister of Justice was cleared. The Paris Court of Cassation rendered its decision on Wednesday February 14, 2024. It rejected the appeal filed by Sophie Patterson-Spatz, contesting the dismissal granted in 2023 to Gérald Darmanin in the rape investigation concerning him. By this decision, the Minister of the Interior was therefore definitively cleared. Sophie Patterson-Spatz, a former supporter of the UMP and ex-member of the Republicans, aged 52, accused him of rape since 2017, accusations that Gérald Darmanin has always denied.
The alleged facts date back to 2009. A judicial investigation was opened in 2020 to examine these accusations. According to Sophie Patterson-Spatz, the events occurred while she was seeking support from Gérald Darmanin, at the time responsible for legal affairs for the UMP. She requested his help to review a 2005 conviction for blackmail and malicious calls against her ex-partner.
Gérald Darmanin would have offered to help her by writing a letter to the Chancellery, but would have insisted that she accompany him to a hotel. Although he admits to having had a sexual relationship with Sophie Patterson-Spatz, he maintains that it was a consensual relationship, adding that he “gave in to the charms” of an “enterprising” woman. The complainant, for her part, waited several years before filing a complaint, filing her first accusation in 2017.
Also whitened in the second file
In the second case, Gérald Darmanin is also cleared. In February 2018, a resident of Tourcoing filed a complaint against him, accusing him of abuse of weakness. According to her, he forced her to have sex in 2015, in exchange for obtaining housing and a job. However, the investigation was closed in May 2018.
The public prosecutor concluded that the investigations had not made it possible to demonstrate a lack of consent nor to establish the existence of coercion, threat, surprise or any violence. Despite several referrals filed in July 2020, the Paris public prosecutor’s office decided to dismiss the case on September 2, 2020, putting a definitive end to this procedure.