The NousToutes collective informed the Francofolies that Patrick Bruel was not welcome in La Rochelle. This Friday, the Charente-Maritime branch of the feminist movement published a letter addressed to the organization of the festival in order to oppose the singer's programming on July 11.
This letter was in fact sent several weeks ago, but NousToutes regrets not having received a response. “Two investigations concerning him had been opened, for facts dating from 2019, one for sexual exhibition and the other for sexual assault,” recalls the association. During these investigations, similar accusations were made by three other victims, for facts dating from 2008. If today the various investigations have been closed without further action, this does not mean that the victims' testimony disappears. »
A masseuse in her thirties accused the singer of sexual assault during a massage session in the hotel where he was staying during a music festival in Argelès-sur-Mer in July 2019. The artist was also targeted by accusations from another masseuse at a hotel in Corsica. “What Patrick Bruel did is not just inappropriate, it is prohibited,” she told Le Parisien in October 2019.
During their investigations, investigators also heard other women accusing Patrick Bruel of sexual assault, sexual exhibition or sexual harassment, for acts dating back to 2008 according to the accusers. But “in the absence of any element making it possible to characterize a criminal offense”, the two investigations were closed without further action at the end of 2020, as was a report from the Swiss authorities to the French justice system.
The previous Orelsan
The members of NousToutes said they were “surprised” by this programming, while “the sustainable development policy” of Francofolies “notifies in particular that
actions to combat sexist and sexual violence
are underway”. The collective also recalled the previous Orelsan, deprogrammed in 2009 “even though he was not the subject of any complaint for sexual assault, harassment or exhibition”. This example “proves that deprogramming for subjects” linked to these types of violence “is possible”.
Concerning Patrick Bruel, NousToutes therefore calls for the Francofolies to “stop offering positive visibility to potential aggressors and thus fueling contempt towards victims of violence”. The singer did not react on his social networks.