New (and last?) Judicial step in the war which has opposed for three and a half years the former minister Pierre Joxe to the young writer Ariane Fornia.
On Wednesday March 31, the Paris Court of Appeal renders its decision in the “defamation” proceedings brought by the first against the second.
Read also: At the Paris Court of Appeal, the consequences of the Weinstein case on trial
On October 18, 2017, Alexandra Besson - alias Ariane Fornia - published on her blog Itinera Magica a long text in which she recounts having been the victim of several sexual assaults in her youth.
One of them would have taken place during a performance at the Opéra Bastille.
That evening,
"a former minister of Mitterrand, member of several governments, who has held royal functions, who is a great left-wing figure"
would have repeatedly "
slipped his hand inside [his] thigh
"By
" going up [her] skirt "
, and would then" be brought
up to [her] crotch ".
The name of Pierre Joxe emerges quickly.
The octogenarian, now a lawyer, strongly contests and decides in January 2018 to bring “defamation” proceedings against the young woman.
The hearing takes place on November 18, 2019 before the 17th chamber of the Paris Criminal Court.
Everyone remains camped on their positions.
"Unbearable decision"
Three months later, the judgment falls: Ariane Fornia is ordered to pay one euro in damages and 3,000 euros in legal fees to Pierre Joxe, and must also delete the offending extracts from his blog post of October 18 2017.
To read also: Prosecuted for defamation by Pierre Joxe, Ariane Fornia condemned
"
The remarks made against Mr. Pierre Joxe accusing him of a sexual assault undermine his honor and his consideration, so that it should be noted that the elements constituting defamation are met," said
the judges, who reject the good faith exception raised by the defense of the normalienne.
Read also: Understand everything about the conviction of Ariane Fornia for defamation against Pierre Joxe
The writer appealed and the case returned to justice on January 27, 2021.
“The decision rendered
[at first instance, Editor's note]
seemed unbearable and deeply unfair to me.
This judgment renewed my injury ”
, underlines in particular the daughter of the former minister Eric Besson.
For his part, Me Jean-Yves Dupeux, counsel for Pierre Joxe, unsurprisingly asks the court for
"the confirmation of the first instance judgment"
.
The three judges will render their decision on March 31, just before ruling on another case: that between Eric Brion and Sandra Muller, the initiator of the hashtag #BalanceTonPorc.
